


An Agent's Biohazard

by BeanNighe



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse), James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: Angst, Body Horror, Bond and Moneypenny have know idea whats going on, Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Eve Moneypenny is a Good Friend, Found Family, His two moods, Horror Elements, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kid Q, Little Q, Mentions of past torture and trama, Protective Eve Moneypenny, Protective James Bond, Protective Q, Q is not a Damsel in Distress, Q is simultaneously a little shit and a dear, Q's name is just Coeus in this, Scars, She's the only one trying to hold this family together, You touch my agents you'll regret it, You touch my kid I'll end you, bond is an asshole, graphic depictions of violence and death, no Original Characters, pre-bond movies, then not so much
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-23 04:56:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 52,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23006104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeanNighe/pseuds/BeanNighe
Summary: “And our informant?” Other than the three of them and the boy, who is now staring back, Bond doesn’t see anyone else in the shop.The man pauses. “What do you two know about Uroboros?”The sudden change of subject pulls Bond away from the staring contest he's having with the kid. “Not much to be honest. Based on the report it's mostly just rumors. Something about visions of a doomsday project.”“Doomsday sounds about right.”“And it is far from rumor 007.” A small accented voice interrupts their conversation and all three turn back to the boy. “You would know that if you actually finished reading my report instead of skimming it. But I suppose that’s too much to ask for from a field agent isn’t it.”It's then that the Double 0 sees it. Twirling in between small fingers, is a glittery green pen.“You’ve got to be shitting me.”Tags will be added as they become relevant.
Relationships: James Bond & Eve Moneypenny, James Bond & Q, Q & Eve Moneypenny
Comments: 3
Kudos: 29





	1. 1-1

**Author's Note:**

> Now as much as I love reading secret agent slow burn love stories, I have been dying to read a great high stakes, action/adventure with these beloved characters. So I'm going to write it. Let me know if this scratches any itches for you guys like it's done for me. The found family trope is where it's at guys, fight me! (please don't fight me. I am a weak noodle).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it should go without saying that this fic will have excessive mentions of infections and viruses due to it being based off of a franchise that is built off it. So if that bothers you please be safe and avoid this work. 
> 
> I hope everyone is okay ad that you can enjoy this epic I'm writing to scratch that itch I have for an action/adventure with these characters. No ships but plenty of found family goodness. And Body horror. Lets do this.

Chapter 1-1  


A lone jeep drives down the dirt road. Tires catch on gravel and rock, kicking them behind as it propels the vehicle forward. Dust flies in the air as the surrounding desert and the occasional tree pass by in a blur.  


The man inside squints from behind his shades against the harsh African sun. His face pinches in contempt at the high temperature. Short blond hair is plastered to his forehead and his shirt clings to him uncomfortably.  


“Fucking heat.” The man wipes at the beads of sweat that threaten to blind him then proceeds to smack the unresponsive air conditioner in hopes of abusing it back to life.  


A quick glance at the GPS on the headboard assures the man that his destination, the decent sized city of Kijuju, is not much further off. If he looks hard enough, he can just make out the outline of the city against the waves of heat.  


Activating a com link in the GPS connects him to MI6’s very own Quartermaster.  


“This is Bond. Five minutes to location.”  


“Good. Your partner for this mission has already arrived and is waiting for you outside the city gates.” The withered voice of the Quartermaster sounds through the speakers. “Once you meet up make your way to the butcher shop. Your equipment will be ready for you as well as the objective of your mission. Do try and get along, 007.”  


The agent smirks at the exasperated tone coming from the older man. “But of course, Q, wouldn’t have it any other way.”  


The Quartermaster’s only response is a huff over the com before signing off and leaving the double 0 alone with his thoughts and the suffocating air.  


The outskirts of the city are now within clear view along the horizon. Bond turns the GPS off and takes the rest of the drive to go over the parameters of the mission at hand. He focuses his breathing to keep his ire down.  


*  


M called the Double 0 into her office at ass o’clock yesterday morning with a grim expression on her face. It was the foreboding atmosphere that caused the agent to hold his tongue still.  


“I realize you are just returning home from your most recent mission 007, and I suppose congratulations are in order seeing as only half the city was on fire when you left this time,”  


Bond bared teeth in the smile he sent her way.  


She didn’t blink.  


“but I have another assignment for you Bond. One of the upmost importance.”  


Her sharp gaze suggested that testing her would be a very stupid thing to do. Bond was anything but stupid, he stayed silent waiting for her to finish.  


“Three years ago, I provided private resources for an independent informant to go undercover in Africa. He was to investigate a lead he discovered on a possible bioweapon terrorist group operating within the country. I had no reason to doubt his claims, so I gave him aid to pursue the lead. It was off the records, off the books. The only ones who knew of this infiltration were the two of us.”  


Bond could feel an eyebrow raise to his hairline; he crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair folding his hands together in amusement.  


“My Madam M, going behind parliament’s back to fund an independent investigation on a ‘possible’ terrorist threat? That is quite the gamble on one person with a ‘possible’ lead. Especially if it was discovered by any members of parliament. Pray tell, what did this informant have to do to earn such trust from the head of MI6?”  


“Enough with the theatrics Bond. This is serious.”  


M sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.  


Well, that was more of a reaction James expected to get. There were shadows under her eyes and the thin line of her mouth told him this was indeed causing a great deal of stress on her. So much so that she was showing visible signs of it.  


Serious indeed.  


“The deal was I would provide him the means to make it into Africa with an alibi and a small base for him to work from. Just enough to get by unnoticed. Once he arrived any ties between us were to be cut completely. Until he had enough evidence to warrant a team be sent in he was on his own and should he be compromised no one would be coming to help. He understood this and agreed to the terms.”  


“The fact we are even having this conversation then means he’s found enough evidence in his lead. Am I right in this assumption?” Bond sat forward, ready to give his entire attention to the debriefing.  


“More than enough. Unfortunately.”  


M opened a drawer in her desk and pulled out a blue folder that had seen better days. The corners were bent out of shape, it was faded and filthy, and the ware on the binder said it had been in constant use once. There were several tea rings staining the front.  


Someone, the informant most likely, had written on the cover with a glittery green pen in neat scrawling handwriting. ‘From an Investment.’ A small childish doodle of a grinning cat with ridiculously sized ears and fluffy tail sat below the message. It was wrapped with two rubber bands to hold the stuffing amounts of withered papers inside. The sight of such a ruined file in an otherwise pristine setting as M’s office, much less in her hands was slightly off putting.  


“Last night he reached out to an agent I have stationed in the country to send in a brief report on a developing situation, including most of the evidence he has managed to gather in the past three years to back up his claim. He’s calling for immediate assistance.”  


The head of MI6 placed the file on the table for the double 0 to claim and review its contents. The rubber bands felt grimy under his hands.  


“The first report in three years.” M sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose again before moving to massage her eyes. “A part of me wishes he didn’t find anything down there at all. Went back home after the first year. Honestly shouldn’t have even been down there to begin with, reckless boy.”  


The last bit was said more to herself and James chose not to comment on the remark. Bond flipped through the papers and files found in the folder as M spoke.  


Most of the daily and weekly updates on the investigation were handwritten with scarce typed reports here and there. While the typed reports were professionally edited and fell into the guidelines of the papers he himself is often forced to write, the written pages were a mess. Half-finished thoughts, spelling errors, and notes to the writer to specify meanings and clean up grammar in future typed reports.  


More doddles of cats, gears, stick figures and little rocket ships decorated the margins of each page. The ends were ripped sporadically from a notebook giving the impression that no one was supposed to see these specific notes, but the writer had no time in typing them out.  


All of it was scribbled with the glittered ink.  


‘Wonder if this guy has multiple glitter green pens on him or if it’s the same one throughout the years.’  


“There is a weapons deal with a known terrorist group within the black market happening in less than forty-eight hours from now. The weapons are confirmed BOW’s.” M moved to stand by a window and watched the morning sky brighten in color.  


“Seeing how most of these look-like personal notes I’m guessing that even your mysterious informant only just found this out himself.”  


James couldn’t stop the small smirk that came from seeing another doodle of a stick person with wild hair and a speech bubble above their head exclaiming their boredom. He could relate.  


Flipping further into the mess, a large bundle of pictures made themselves known. Behind each photograph were corresponding notes and observations, as well as a code of some sort. No doubt a means to find which report they were supposed to correspond to.  


Men in hazmat suits, run down and abandoned hospital rooms, random people with discolored skin and eyes locked behind bars and chained to beds. An odd logo kept appearing on containers in the background.  


One thing that stood out to the agent the most was the positioning of the images. The height of the camera couldn’t have been taller than his abdomen, meaning their informant either used some local children to take the pictures or he was just short. The consistent high quality of the photos told Bond they were all taken by one person, so their guy wasn’t a very tall one.  


An individual in particular was frequent in the photos. A weasel of a man in a fancy suit, extremely out of place of the surroundings he was in. Close cut blond hair and eyes that seemed to bulge right out of his head.  


The green pen made another appearance on the front of these pictures, circling the man to emphasize his importance. ‘Ricardo Irving, weapons dealer’ was all Bond needed to see on the back to know this man was the target.  


Amongst the pictures was one of a group of African children playing happily with a worn football. A single European child with wild brown hair and glasses was laughing and running with them. The picture didn’t share the same photographer. A date, names, and another cat face were written on the back.  


‘Probably not a photo meant to be with the others then.’  


James set the picture aside.  


“So, I take it my mission is to breakup this weapons deal before it starts and take out this bio terrorist Irving. Sounds like a holiday if you ask me.”  


Bond closed the folder and watched as M made her way back to her desk.  


“No.”  


“Excuse me?” The answer caught the agent off guard.  


“The BSAA branch in Africa were made aware of the events taking place earlier this morning. A team is being put together as we speak to deal with the weapons deal and handle any BOW’s that may be involved. You will meet up with them after the mission has already started.”  


Bond stood from his chair and braced himself on the desk, slightly looming over his superior. To anyone else the man would have been the very definition of intimidating, M merely raised a brow.  


“I think we both know I don’t play so well with others ma’am. So, what is the point of sending me in if there are already men on the job?”  


“Because, the apprehension of this bioterrorist is their objective, 007. The protective escort and extraction of my informant is yours.”  


“Babysitting.” The agent growled. “You’re sending your best agent in MI6 on a babysitting assignment.”  


M, on her part, looked ready to cuff the man upside the head. Instead she leaned forward herself putting them in the same breathing space.  


“No, 007, I am not sending my ‘best agent’ on a babysitting job. I’m sending ‘an agent’ to safeguard my informant turned whistleblower and get him out of the country alive. You saw that folder Bond. He would not have sent such shabby work if he had had time to send nothing but his best.”  


M moved away never breaking eye contact but suddenly looking world weary.  


“Which means that on top of finding out this deal is taking place so soon, there is also a high possibility that he is compromised. And he knows it. There would be no other reason to send me his findings like this if he wasn’t running.”  


James backed off seeing the concern in her face but made sure his displeasure was still firmly written on his.  


“And then, despite all the research and evidence he sent there is more data he has on the corporation behind this, as well as stolen samples of the BOWs themselves. This has painted a very large target on his back. Ergo the escort. He is vital, Bond. The information he has could save thousands in the coming days.”  


‘Vital and smart. He gave up adequate information to prove action was needed but kept enough to himself so he wouldn’t become collateral to any party he reached out to. He made himself a king on the chessboard.’  


The agent straightened. “So, the mission is to escort the informant to the BSAA to exchange information then reach an extraction point to evacuate him to safety. Why not just kill the man, steal, then exchange the data ourselves? Saves us all the hassle and prevents him from becoming a problem in the future.”  


Bond shrugs like he just found the perfect solution.  


M didn’t seem to agree.  


Her eyes grew cold with fury, so much so that James involuntarily took a step back to increase the distance between them.  


He wouldn’t put it past her to shoot him in the balls for the idea even crossing his mind.  


“You have been given the parameters of your assignment 007. If my informant does not make it into my custody completely unharmed you can say goodbye to the field because you will be desked for the rest of your career here at MI6, if I don’t put you in the ground first. Do I make myself perfectly clear agent?”  


“Crystal.”  


“Then get out of my office.”  


*  


Bond parked the jeep on the side of the road. Ahead of him he could make out the outpost gate that would lead him further into the city.  


The streets are crowded with civilians going about their day, either shopping or performing chores. Some watch the agent step out of the vehicle in interest, others with distrust. The Double 0 pays them no mind as he sorts through what little equipment he was given.  


“Welcome to Africa.” The voice coming from behind him is feminine with a familiar accent that is reminiscent of home.  


The agent turns to face his greeter and finds he was right. The young Britain woman before him is a beauty. Tall, thin but not frail, with dark gorgeous skin and eyes one could lose themselves in.  


She holds herself with the confidence of a woman who can kick his ass in stiletto heels and not break a sweat. Any other setting would see them shagging by the end of the night.  


‘Still not completely out of the question.’  


Bond’s smile gives away some of his mischievous thoughts. She in turn returns it with a quip of her brow.  


“My name is Eve Moneypenny.”  


“Bond. James Bond”  


He meets her hand with a wink. The strength behind the handshake and the sharp look in her eye gives him all the warning he needs.  


“Your reputation proceeds you Mr. Bond. It’s an honor.”  


“Please just James, thanks.” With greetings finished Bond gets to work. “You’ll be accompanying me with the escort then.”  


“That’s right. Was stationed on the far side of the city over a year ago during the change in government. Tensions have been rising since then but it’s a need to know basis, I’m sure you understand.” At his nod she continues. “I’m pretty familiar with the area and its people which will put them more at ease. Not many are very trusting of foreigners right now.”  


“Well if the rumors that this place has become a haven for terrorists are true, I can understand why. Makes you a valuable asset then.”  


“I’d like to think so.”  


“Well, I look forward to working with you then, partner.”  


The title feels bitter in his mouth, not truly belonging to the woman in front of him but to a man seven years in the ground.  


‘It’s just one assignment. Then you tell M any further missions needing a partner can be turned over to someone else.’  


“You okay?”  


Bond is startled out of his thoughts when Moneypenny calls out to him, having already moved towards the gateway.  


The smile he sends her is considered one of his most charming, she doesn't seem moved by it. Seems his reputation really does proceed him. Shame.  


“Of course. Something just came to mind is all. Nothing to concern yourself with.”  


She nods and with the conversation ended leads the way towards the wall. Bond falls in step beside her.  


The guard at the gate stops them from entering. At Moneypenny’s motion though Bond stands down to let her handle the interaction. The guy is handsy, less frisking and more feeling up.  


She practically throws him into the wall.  


“You don’t have to get touchy.” She turns to Bond with calm irritation. “Let’s go.”  


The gatekeeper doesn’t say anything as she hands him the proper papers and they walk through.  


The road is far more barren than on the other side, with very few individuals milling about the empty buildings. Despite being within the walls of the outpost the view ahead was more of a shanty town than that of a guarded city. The difference is almost startling.  


Bond watches as the gates are closed behind then, eyeing the sentry who glares back before the doors cut off view.  


“Everyone as friendly as him?”  


Eve shake her head exasperated. But before she can respond their earwigs sound off. The voice of an unknown man introduces himself.  


“This is Kirk with the BSAA. 007, Agent Moneypenny, can you read me?”  


“Bond, coming in loud and clear, Kirk.”  


“Yes, we read you.”  


The agents move as one down the dirt street.  


“We have confirmed sightings of Irving in Kijuju. Alpha team has already infiltrated the area. Rendezvous with your contact and the informant at the butcher shop. Gear up and get debriefed on the mission there.”  


“Roger.”  


“Copy that.” Eve points down the road when communications are cut. “The butcher’s shop is further down the road. Just around the corner.”  


“Then let’s not waste time.”  


It become abundantly clear they are not welcome when glares are thrown their way with each face they pass. They eventually come across a scene of several men brutally beating a large squirming sack with sticks in the middle of the dirt road.  


The men stop to stare at the agents as they walk by, never looking away.  


Bond can feel himself itching for his gun. Instead he clears his throat looking to ease the tension he ccan see forming in Moneypenny’s shoulders.  


“So, were you the one who sent our informant’s report to MI6?”  


“Yes. I was working on a paper trail regarding my target and the friends he keeps for months. Then, two days ago, I get two packages out of nowhere. One contained all the evidence I needed on my mark to make the proper arrests and the other had a note telling me to send it to the head of MI6 in exchange for the information.”  


Bond scoffs. “Let me guess, it was all written in glittery green pen.”  


She glanced at him with mild surprise. “So you read the report. After checking that nothing dangerous was inside I sent it. Now I’ve been assigned an escort mission. Completely different than what I was doing before, mind you. Not that I’m complaining. Nice to have a change in directive now and then.”  


A thought crosses his mind. “What’s our informant like? Did you get a good look at him?”  


She shakes her head. “No. I didn’t see him at all. I hadn’t even realized there was another agent for MI6 down this far. The packages just showed up in my rental.”  


“Hm, crafty fellow. Thing is he doesn’t work for MI6. He’s independent. A bit worrisome if he was able to identify an agent in the field and have access to their mission objective without ever being on the inside.”  


Moneypenny side eyes him at his comment.  


“That wasn’t a slight on you as an agent, Miss. Moneypenny. But this could spell trouble. I don’t like how much information this man is able to obtain from us. Without proper authorization.”  


“Wonder what he’s like.”  


“Honestly, I’m picturing some arrogant boffin prick who thinks he’s untouchable.”  


“Bet he’s a scrawny thing, uptight, with big glasses to boot.”  


“Moneypenny, my dear, you read my thoughts exactly. Though, based on his affinity to doodle on his reports maybe not so uptight.”  


“Doodles hmm.”  


“He seems to like cats quite a bit. I’d say a young pup around his mid-twenties with more experience talking to a computer screen than another human being.”  


That brings out a laugh. Bond tires not to be too proud at that.  


His counterpart stops abruptly just as the air seems to shift through the square. They both turn back to find the street completely devoid of people.  


Bond feels the hairs on the back of his neck rise in anticipation. Beside him Moneypenny searches frantically from where she stands for any signs of life.  


A radio nearby is tuned to a man shouting aggressively at his listeners. Bond couldn’t make out what language he was speaking.  


“I think we should move.”  


“Agreed.”  


Moneypenny keeps her back to him; he does the same with her.  


The butcher shop is in veiw at the end of the street. The anxiety from the empty environment has the agents quickening their pace the last few yards.  


The front counter located outside the building is just as deserted as the rest of the street, but as they approach a gravelly voice comes from a nearby window.  


“Aw, agents. Come around to the side entrance.”  


Sure enough, there's a side door into the building. Inside a man wearing a turban is leaning against the wall awaiting their arrival.  


“Good, you’re here. Come.”  


With a jerk of his head the man leads them further into the butchery.  


The room smells of rotted meat. It isn’t hard to find the source when it's strung from hooks dangling from the ceiling, bloated and decayed from the heat.  


Filthy counter tops are caked with what must have been blood. Flies roam the room and maggots infest anything that was once organic.  


Bond resists the urge to gag. Moneypenny doesn’t look to be fairing much better.  


“Could be because of the new government, but the people around here are a little on edge. You should do what you came here to do and go home.”  


Bond looks at Moneypenny and smirks. “Yeah, they really roll out the red carpet here for us foreigners.”  


She tosses her own smug smile right back.  


The contact maneuvers the room quickly, leading them to possibly the only semi-clean surface in the place. A silver weapons case is sitting on top.  


“Your weapons from MI6 arrived a few hours earlier. Check them.”  


The pair move to the case and claim their Walters and ammunition. While the Double 0 equips his holster, Moneypenny examines her gun, checking the clip and ensuring all parts are in working order.  


‘Quite a bit of provided ammo for a simple escort.’  


Movement in the corner of the room has Bond sighting a little boy sitting alone on a table.  


For some asinine reason the kid is wearing a dark green and black jacket three times his size. His fingers barely poking through the sleeves. Looking at him is making Bond sweat.  


He's scribbling in a notebook completely ignoring the adults sharing the space with him. His head bobs to an unheard beat and his legs swing lazily beneath him.  


There's a something familiar about the boy’s face.  


“Mission coordinates?” Moneypenny is eyeing the boy as well.  


“Towns square is up ahead. The mission is already underway. Once Irving is in custody you will trade off the informant to allow him to exchange the data and samples he has to Captain DeChant. Once that is done, your extraction point will be located by the storage facility just west of there.”  


“And our informant?” Other than the three of them and the boy, who's now staring back, Bond doesn’t see anyone else in the shop.  


The man pauses. “What do you two know about Uroboros?”  


The sudden change of subject pulls Bond away from the staring contest he's having with the kid. “No much to be honest. Based on the report, it's mostly just rumors. Something about visions of a doomsday project.”  


“Doomsday sounds about right.”  


“And it is far from rumor 007.” A small accented voice interrupts their conversation and all three turn back to the boy. “You would know that if you actually finished reading my report instead of skimming it. But I suppose that’s too much to ask for from a field agent isn’t it.”  


It's then that the Double 0 sees it. Twirling in between small fingers, is a glittery green pen.  


“You’ve got to be shitting me.”  


The smug smile is missing a canine and highlights the fact that there is baby fat still on his cheeks.  


Clarity shoots through Bond like a bullet. This kid is the same one playing soccer in the photograph he stored in his back pocket.  


His brunette hair has a life of its own, waving and curling around his head. Goggle like glasses are held to his face with a leather strap and a Band-Aid. And behind those glasses the Double 0 can make out brilliant green eyes surrounded by dark encompassing bags and a haunted gaze Bond doesn’t like.  


Duct tape is holding sections of his black pants together. Though the knee on his left leg is torn, revealing red and raw skin underneath. His damned ragged shoelaces are untied or in knots. Thin legs still swing back and forth as he sits.  


“You’re our informant?” Moneypenny is, no doubt, taking in as much of the disturbing details as James.  


The smile becomes something more genuine which only makes the boy look even younger than before. James feels his heart drop to his stomach.  


‘A child. What is a child doing here?’  


“That’s right! I’m your whistleblower and you are the agents Madam M sent to help me get to the BSAA, right? I’m so excited to be working alongside you both.” The boy claps his hands once in glee, eyes shining excitedly. Bond can hear a lisp in his words.  


Their contact opts to stay silent, because really what do you say in a situation like this? Moneypenny nods to confirm the boy’s question. Bond however is unable to stop the unexplainable anger from entering his tone.  


“What the hell is this? You’re the informant M sent here three years ago? By yourself? You’re like six! Where are your parents, your guardian?”  


It’s at the mention of his age that the boy’s face grows closed and indifferent. The bags under his eyes becoming more prominent and the haunted stare returns in absence of the excitement from before.  


“I suppose I have to give credit where credit is due.” He adjusts the glasses on his face. “You’re only half wrong, 007, I’m twelve. And believe me when I say I’ve been taking care of myself long before M provided me the means to make it here.”  


Moneypenny steps between them in attempt to starve off the confrontation. “Well then, it’s nice to meet you-“  


“Coeus.” The smile is back.  


“Coeus?” Bond bites his tongue at Moneypenny’s warning look.  


“Yup, after the Greek Titan of intellect. Pretty fitting for me, yeah?”  


‘God above the kid looks so proud of himself.’  


“You have a real name?”  


“Maybe, but code names are cooler. Besides even if I gave you my real name it wouldn’t matter.” The boy…Coeus stops twirling his pen and stuffs both it and the notebook into the messenger bag sitting beside him.  


Moneypenny shares a look with Bond and their contact. “Why is that?”  


“Because I don’t ‘technically’ exist.”  


“What?”  


Bond stops himself short at thinking the kid as cute when his round cheeks puff up in annoyance. He’s sure the boy is trying for an intimidating expression but it’s not working out for him. It’s oddly endearing.  


“Awe, he’s a baby.” Moneypenny whispers behind her hand as she tries to hide her grin. Her eyes are wide though in what the agent can only infer as panicked concern.  


‘A kitten with its fluff up is the correct phrase here.’  


With the rest of his things stuffed into his over filled bag, Coeus jumps from the table.  


Without the stand holding him up James is struck by just how tiny the kid really is. He barely reaches Bond’s chest in height. The jacket looks like a dress coming down to his knees and drowning his form under the mass.  


“Are we going to sit here and play twenty questions all day, cause I don’t think I have to remind you that there is sensitive information I’m supposed to exchange within the next hour.”  


While the agents are still in the mist of processing everything, their contact nods.  


“He’s right, the BSAA need that data to help in securing any BOW’s that may be at the site. Time is of the essence.”  


The man starts walking towards the door they came through earlier.  


“I’ll inform headquarters you’ve made contact. Until the data is transferred you will be communicating with the BSAA.” He turns giving his final farewell, addressing the boy more than the agents. “You be careful out there.”  


“You too, and thanks for the help earlier. It means a lot.”  


There is something soft in the man’s smile when he sees the boy waving goodbye. Without another word their contact is gone and the three are left alone.  


The mission has officially started.  


Coeus swings himself towards the agents. Smile still on his face but there is something more guarded about it. Bond can see a tension that wasn’t there before the man left. The boy doesn’t trust them.  


Well as far as the Double 0 is concerned it’s not a problem. They aren’t here to make the boy feel comfortable, they’re here to get his ass out of Africa alive.  


Coeus holds his hand, half hidden by his stupid oversized jacket, ‘what the hell’, out to shake. Moneypenny extends her hand to meets the boy’s. Bond can see the woman’s attempt at hiding her surprise when the exchange is met.  


“It’s okay. Most people react the same way when they first meet me. Don’t think too much about it. Anyways, I’m Coeus. How do you do?”  


“Eve Moneypenny.” Everything in her expression screams alarm, despite the overly polite and childish greeting. “It’s nice to meet you, Coeus.”  


“Likewise, agent Moneypenny.”  


Bond can see the wariness in the boy’s movements, his feet positioned to bolt the very second either of them pose a threat. Even as he shakes the woman’s hand enthusiastically.  


Quick as the shake started it ends, the boy drawing his hand back and putting distance between them. Coeus turns to face him, hand out for a proper greeting and a forced smile on his face.  


The cause for Moneypenny’s surprise makes itself known when he gets a good look at the hand being offered.  


There are band-aids covering the thin digits. Black cats on multi-colored bandages decorating the multitude of half hidden cuts and white scars. His fingernails are shredded and irritated, bitten right down to the quick. The tips of his middle fingers are both angled in a way that suggests they were set wrong after a bad fracture. The extended wrist is wrapped in a compress mostly concealed by his ridiculously large sleeve.  


He’s missing a finger.  


His pointer.  


Right down to the knuckle.  


There is a jagged look where the appendage ends, old scar tissue that engulfs what is left. Bond recognizes it for what it is, Moneypenny did too.  


Someone removed it.  


The look of past trauma makes it clear it wasn’t a clean or painless amputation either.  


A quick glance at the other hand holding to the messenger bags’ strap reveals another missing finger. His ring. More of the member is left but it holds the same scar tissue.  


The same trauma.  


A good look at the kids face showcases a multitude of white and faded scars mixed in with the peppered freckles on his sun kissed skin. They’re hidden well enough by his ridiculously untamed hair and bulky glasses. A large bandage covering his right cheek barely conceals the fading contusion that discolors a majority of his soft jaw line. His small button nose sits somewhat crooked on his face.  


‘Christ. Someone’s mutilated this kid.’  


The heavy bags around his wide eyes and wariness in his haunted gaze makes more and more sense.  


“Like I said, don’t think too much about it.” His smile is lopsided and would be incredibly charming if all the little unsettling details weren’t screaming at the Double 0.  


The agent sees the boy analyzing him as well. Eyes blink owlishly to emphasize innocence, but Bond doesn’t miss the kid tightening his hold on the messenger bag around his shoulder or the quick glances at his gun and body language. As if he’s a hair trigger away from shooting the kid with it.  


Bond takes the offered hand and makes sure to keep his hold light even as the boy grips firmly. 007 has never shaken hands with a child before but the feel of such small bones makes him aware of how fragile this little figure was. How easy it would be to render those bones broken, without any effort.  


How someone already did.  


The gentle nature of his shake causes some of the tension to ease out of the slender shoulders. That, at least, makes the agent feel better.  


“007, Agent Bond right? I look forward to being your partner for the remainder of the mission.”  


Bond subconsciously tightens the hold he has on the little hand.  


There’s that word again. Being applied to another individual that isn’t who it's supposed to be. He can’t name why hearing that word is making him upset, why it seems to make him freeze up.  


Bond becomes aware of himself when he feels blunt nails trying to unlock his grip.  


“Let. Go.”  


The small voice is firm and commanding. Despite the calm and collected way he speaks there’s something dangerous flashing in those green eyes, something ferial.  


A warning.  


Bond feels a chill trail down his spine despite the heat.  


This kid probably weighs a hundred pounds with that bag of his AND soaking wet. So why does Bond feel like he’s holding some unidentified threat by the tail. The unexplainable anxiety towards the boy only serves to piss the agent off more. He doesn’t get scared, so why is he practically frozen by that look?  


He sneers and yanks on the hand dragging the boy closer.  


The kid doesn’t make a sound, doesn’t change his blank expression but digs his heels into the floor and turns to the side making himself a smaller target. Body posed in a protective position of his organs and ribs, ready for his arms and back to take a hit. He is deathly still after that. Breathing calm but muscles tense for confrontation. He never looks away from Bond’s face, challenging him to make a move.  


Defiant.  


Ready.  


Every slight movement of the agent’s form the boy shifts with him, matching his body languages to best predict the man’s next action.  


This isn’t a natural reaction a boy his age should have to being grabbed.  


This is a case survival instinct at its best. It’s taught, learned, through harsh means.  


Bond can hear Moneypenny saying something and moving closer, but he doesn’t bother interpreting what she says.  


“Listen here kid, you are not our equal in this. You are the objective. That does not in any way make you my partner. You don’t contribute to orders and actions given; you listen to them. Understood.”  


“Perfectly.”  


If the room hadn’t gotten so quiet, Bond is sure he wouldn’t have heard him. The voice barely above a whisper, steady but there’s something else there.  


Not fear.  


The way this boy watches him says he isn’t afraid.  


Just anticipating.  


Waiting to react.  


Ready to defend against violence.  


Against pain.  


Christ  


“Enough.” Moneypenny grabs Bond's wrist forcing his hand open.  


As soon as he’s free, Coeus puts distance between them. He doesn’t grab at his hand, doesn’t wilt under the scrutiny of the adults. He stands still, back straight, arms loose, watching them with caution in return.  


The way he eyes Bond in particular has guilt pooling into the agent’s stomach.  


He over reacted.  


“What the hell, Bond!” Moneypenny is fuming. “That was completely...“  


“We’ve wasted enough time already. We’ll need to head through the back alleys. There’s a set of stairs we can use to get through some of the buildings.” Coeus jerks his head to a back entrance, his voice betraying no emotion. “The faster we get this done the faster we go our separate ways.”  


Moneypenny shoots Bond a scathing look before moving towards the door to check the alley. Bond takes the Walter out of his holster and steps in front to the other agent to take point. Coeus follows after them not a ways behind.  


“Whatever happens, stay close to Moneypenny or myself. Don’t make yourself a burden.” James winces at the tone his voice takes.  


“I don’t plan to.”  


“Prick.”  


Moneypenny is glaring at him when he glances back.  


Coeus doesn’t emote at all.  


Why the hell is he treating the boy like shit? There was no malice in what he said before. Just a child excited at the idea of companionship. Possibly after years of careful isolation. Of a partnership where he didn’t have to rely on only himself anymore.  


But that’s just it isn’t it.  


Partnership.  


His last partner wasn’t even given a proper burial. Just an empty coffin in the ground. This is the precise reason he refuses to take any mission that required them. He doesn’t work well with others, because in the end they all end up the same way.  


Bond leads the way down the stairs, Coeus in the middle, and Moneypenny taking up the rear.  


Moneypenny is speaking quietly to Coeus. Most likely trying to close the rift that Bond dug between them and the boy. They need him to trust them somewhat if they were going to keep him safe.  


The smiles being sent her way are polite if subdued, but his eyes never stray from either of them for too long; he never fully turns his back to them. He doesn't feel safe.  


‘Damn,’ Bond grimaces. ‘I really screwed this up.’  


M is going to hang his balls over her fireplace when he gets back.  


At the end of the stairway and in the middle of the alley is decaying goat corpse. There are metal rods sticking out from its side and crows are already partaking in the meat.  


“The people here have been sacrificing animals more often in the past couple months.”  


The sound of the small voice behind him causes James to look over his shoulder. Coeus is staring at the animal with detachment.  


He's picking at the band-aids on his fingers.  


“There have been reports of several persons missing in the mines and the towns. Whole tribes vanishing from the marshlands as of late. A ritual is performed to keep evil at bay and punish those who cause harm to others.”  


Bond and Moneypenny share a look at the information before turning their attention back to the boy. The crows fly away at their approach.  


Coeus shrugs and stuffs his hands in the jacket pockets.  


“Goats and chickens are the usual target for these sacrifices. It’s not out of the ordinary to find one in this state. I think its connected somehow though. To the...” He stops short, shooting a cautious glance at the agents before going back to watch the flies around the goat. His shoulders have been tensed since Bond grabbed him, but his stance is open and loose.  


Inviting.  


A lure.  


Moneypenny opens her mouth, most likely to comment on his unfinished sentence, but Bond shakes his head signaling her to drop the subject. She stares back at him perturbed before understanding floods her features and she remain quiet.  


James can appreciate a test (trap) when he sees it.  


The in-depth information the kid has on the situation is not for them to know. Their job is to guide him to the meeting site then get him the hell out of dodge, nothing more. They know that and the kid sure as shit knows that.  


He’s waiting for an interrogation. For questions he will refuse to answer. Gaging their reactions to withheld information to see what type of people were sent to protect him, then act accordingly.  


Bond sees the kid watching him from under his wild hair.  


Something empty in that gaze has James irrationally wanting to aim his gun right between those green eyes. Instead he meets the boy’s stare with a calm demeaner not opting to dig the rift wider.  


The agents made a show of patiently waiting for him to finish and when he didn’t Bond turned away and continued to lead. Bond steps over the goat to head into the next building. He can hear the kid apologize to the corpse behind him.  


If the alley was the site of a ritualistic sacrifice James isn’t sure what to call the scene they find inside the first room they entered. He hears Moneypenny gag, and he can’t say he's far off from doing the same if for the smell alone.  


Another goat lays splayed across a table in the middle of the room. Hooks hanging from the ceiling are holding two of its legs up, allowing for the split belly to freely spill its content across the slab. The decay of the creature gives away just how long it’s been left here to rot.  


“Jesus Christ.” Moneypenny has brought a hand to her face to minimize the smell.  


The Double 0 turns away from the animal, curious to see what type of reaction, if any, their charge has. But when he looks back all he's met with is the sight of Moneypenny regaining her composure.  


“Kid?”  


The boy is gone.  


The agents lock eyes and Bond sees the same confused panic he's sure is on his face. They both whorl their heads around the enclosed space, guns up.  


A shadow standing in the corner of the room almost has Bond squeezing the trigger before he recognizes it as the kid they are supposed to be keeping an eye on.  


Christ, he didn’t even hear the brat move.  


Didn’t see him walk to the other side of the room where he is now waiting for his escorts patiently with an amused grin on his face. Missing canine leaving a hole in his smile.  


“If your quite done gawking at dead goats, I believe we have a mission to complete.”  


Bond clenches his teeth so hard he can hear the strain he's causing them. Lowering his gun, the agent begins to march towards the pint-sized annoyance with the intent to give the kid a good shaking.  


The boy seems to anticipate the reaction, setting his feet slightly apart and steeling himself for what's to come. His face and eyes take on that same blank expression from before.  


It's a firm grip on his arm and Moneypenny’s commanding “STOP!” that holds Bond back. He never breaks eye contact with Coeus.  


It's another test (trap), one he completely missed. One Moneypenny caught onto immediately.  


“What the hell did I say about not being a pest!” Bond is livid. Not even twenty minutes since the start of the mission and he already wants to put his own head through a wall.  


“You two are the ones who decided to stop and stare at an animals’ dead carcass for whatever reason. I’m simply waiting on you to finish. And I believe your exact words were, ‘Don’t be a burden.’ Well, if anything, you’re holding me up. So.”  


Coeus gestures with his small hands and too large sleeves towards another door leading outside. Smile growing on his face even as his eyes stay empty.  


“I can understand your hesitance to trust us, Coeus. I really do. We’ve done nothing to show you, you can.” Moneypenny throws an ugly look towards Bond as she speaks gently.  


Bond bites his cheek. He can feel the warmth of embarrassment fill his cheeks.  


“But we aren’t your enemy here. You called for help, well, we’re the help you’ve been given. What I’m asking of you isn’t going to be easy, but I’m going to need you to stop with your little tests and trust us to get you where you need to be. If anything, they are hindering us from doing our jobs adequately, and keeping you from doing yours.  


Coeus is frozen, eyes large behind his glasses. He lowers his head, abashed, seeming to sink further into his jacket. His eyes shift back and forth from Bond to Moneypenny, possibly searching for a lie somewhere in her speech.  


When he doesn’t find one he bobs his head sharply once and turns towards the door, waiting for them to take their places ahead of him.  


Moneypenny lets go of Bond’s arm. “And you. For god’s sake he’s a child. Don’t be the reason we fail this mission, ya prick.”  


She gives him an earful under her breath though they're both sure their charge can hear them perfectly. The boy never strays his gaze away from the door, so if he can he doesn’t acknowledge what's being said.  


Moneypenny walks away from Bond to go place a comforting hand on the boy’s shoulder. But when his first response to the touch is to flinch away she gives him his space and make sure to stay in his field of vision all while murmuring small words of ease.  


It's the flinch and the sharp glance her way that dims the rest of Bond’s ire.  


‘Shit, she’s right. Kid’s a snarky little shit, far too intelligent for his own damn good, but...’  


Bond breaths in deep and slowly releases it as he walks as carefully as he can to the front. Glancing behind him James sees Coeus watching him, waiting for his next move.  


Uncertain is what James would call the expression on the boy’s face. Scarred hands hold tightly to his bag, like he expects Bond to take it from him for his earlier actions.  


Bond glances back to Moneypenny and nods. Together the three walk out the door and into a labyrinth of dirt alleys.  


Moneypenny barely closed the door behind them when the screaming reaches their ears. The agents bring their guns up aiming towards the source of the sound. A building of two stories, the stairs leading from the alley to inside stood at the end of the dirt path.  


Bond racks his brain, eyes taking in their surroundings, looking for the best solution to avoid any conflict that could endanger the boy in his care.  


“They need help.”  


So focused on finding another route James doesn’t notice movement on his left until it was too late and isn’t fast enough to react as Coeus races past him and towards the stairs of the building. Long jacket flapping in the wind and messenger bag bouncing against his legs as he ran.  


The older man swears under his breath as he takes off after the boy. The only thing running through his head is the image of a child’s leash tied to the kid’s jacket.  


Bond is able to catch Coeus just before he can bound up the stairs, grabbing him harshly by the arm and yanking him back.  


What James doesn’t expect is the sharp kick delivered to his kneecap that sends him to the ground and a foot connecting to his chest cavity on the way down.  


The blow leaves Bond gasping for air on the ground as his lungs refuse to cooperate, and for a moment all he sees is red, ears ringing. He stands up quickly, despite not having fully recovered, intent on maiming whatever it is that attacked him.  


The only thing he finds in front of him is the boy, collapsed on the first and second steps of the stairs, and Moneypenny kneeling with her arms in front of her, speaking in hushed tones. Coeus doesn’t appear to be listening this time though, his face is white as a sheet, quietly gasping for air like he's the one who was kicked in the chest.  


His eyes are glazed over behind his oversized glasses, and the way he stares at the Double 0 has the man wondering if he had inadvertently harmed the child.  


He's clutching the arm Bond had grabbed tightly and is making small attempts at putting distance between them. Trying to make his movements unnoticeable by whatever threat he thought is in front of him.  


The kid isn’t there with them  


He's seeing something else.  


Reliving something else.  


And by the expression on his painfully young face it isn’t anything pleasant.  


When the Double 0 tries to move closer to examine Coeus’ arm, he flinches back, clutching his arm tighter to himself. Putting his hands in front of him in a non-threatening manor Bond steps back. Coeus tracks his every movement like the agent is going to lunge at him at any second.  


“You’re okay. It’s okay. He wasn’t trying to hurt you. He just didn’t want you running into something dangerous. It’s okay. You’re okay. I need you to breath with me alright.”  


Moneypenny is doing her damned best attempt at being soothing but glancing back at Bond he can see she's just as horribly confused as to what happened as he is.  


James isn’t even sure that what happened actually happened.  


His lungs are on fire and his leg aches in a way it hasn’t in a long time.  


‘Damn, any harder and that kick would have dislocated my kneecap or cracked a rib.’  


Bond isn’t even able to find it in himself to be pissed at the panicking child in front of him. That was self-defense at its finest.  


The strength behind the attack is what surprised him more than anything.  


Two incredibly well-placed kicks and one of MI6’s finest is picking themselves off the floor.  


Something brakes in the building behind them and Bond has the sudden realization that no one has come to investigate the commotion in the alley.  


It occurred to him then that there isn’t a commotion to investigate.  


The boy didn’t yell out when he was grabbed. Bond couldn’t get a sound out after he was kicked. Moneypenny’s voice is kept at a whisper as she speaks.  


Even now it's clear that as Coeus is struggling to regain his breath the panting could barely be heard over the calm breeze. He's consciously keeping as quiet as possible to avoid detection even in his panic.  


While he's glad for the discretion, Bond is slightly disturbed how quiet the kid makes himself be when he thinks himself in danger.  


That silence could be a problem later down the road.  


“Are you hurt? Did I grab an injury you didn’t tell us about?” Bond approaches slowly again and his words just as quiet as Moneypenny’s, if a bit more breathless.  


“I need you to talk to us. If you’re injured you need to inform us now.”  


Another scream comes from inside the building. Something else crashes to the ground.  


Coeus whips his head towards the source of the sound. “Someone- Someone needs help.”  


Using the steps, he gets back to his feet. The boy looks back at them blinking rapidly, the glazed look in his eyes leaving, and his breathing is sounding more controlled than before.  


“That isn’t our concern right now. Leave it, we’ll find another route to the rendezvous point.” Bond’s voice would have risen in irritation if they weren’t trying to avoid notice.  


“He’s right. Let’s get you up and find a way around.” At least Moneypenny is on his side this time. She reaches forward slowly to take the boy’s hand, but he inches back.  


“I’m not ignoring this.” His tone holds no arguments, like he has any say to a grown-up’s decision. Bond is about ready to throw the brat over his shoulder.  


The muted terror in his large eyes just moments before holds the agent still.  


“Kid...“  


“No.”  


With shaking hands, the boy removes the messenger bag from his shoulder and pushes it into Moneypenny’s arms gently. The way he holds the strap a moment longer shows his hesitation to part ways with it.  


“I’ll give you the samples and notes to take to Captain DeChant if you prefer. I can meet up with you both later, but I’m not ignoring this. You can help me, or you can go ahead. Your choice.”  


Now fully to his feet Coeus starts to inch his way up the stairs, silent as a ghost, no doubt intending for some sort of element of surprise. Moneypenny is staring at the bag in her arms, not comprehending how it got there. Bond is convinced the brat has lost his mind.  


This is the same kid who called out to MI6 for help in getting out of the country and now he wants to throw it away because some stranger needs aid.  


“Why are you...?” Moneypenny is cut off with a choice of words that make both their mouths go dry.  


“No one ever came for me. When I cried or screamed. Begged. I won’t do that to somebody else. Not ever.” Coeus says. HIs voice quiet, and tired.  


Bond grits his teeth together, the boy never looked back at them, fully expecting them to leave him behind.  


Glancing at the small hand that trails along the wall as the boy moves up, the older man takes in the evidence of the claim.  


Bond scrubs a hand across his face before yanking the bag from Moneypenny’s grasp and trailing up the stairs after his mission. And holy shit is the satchel heavier than he expected.  


Coeus is just coming to the door leading into the building when Bond wraps the messenger bag’s strap around the boy’s shoulders and takes his place in front. James tires not to think about how the kid had flinched at the contact or the carefully blank expression on his face.  


“You stay behind me unless I tell you otherwise, understand? We will handle the confrontation; you stay out of the crossfire.”  


Moneypenny announces her presence behind them with a clear of her throat before standing in front next to Bond nodding towards the boy.  


Coeus looks back and forth between the two, a hesitant relief slowly making its way onto his face.  


The two agents gets into position at the door as Coeus takes a step down to keep out of the way. One hand on the doorknob Bond looks to Moneypenny as she raises her gun.  


They both nod.  


Slowly Bond pushes the door open and leads into the room. Moneypenny trails in right behind.  


A man struggles under two others, trying to free his head from the hard grip on his jaw. The aggressor holding the man’s jaw is forcing something round and slimy down his throat.  


Whatever it is, it's moving.  


The third man watches, holding the victim’s arms to the floor as he chokes.  


Bond is frozen still as he aims at the first man. Something is wrong with his face. Even turned away from them, the agent can see something black sprouting from his head.  


Tentacles.  


That's the only word that comes to mind as he watches the scene before him.  


“WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! STOP THEM!”  


The shrill cry from behind the agents spurs them both into action.  


Bond quickly glances behind them to ensure the boys safety. When he finds the twelve-year-old clinging to the doorway watching on in some form of understanding horror, Bond turns back.  


“Freeze.”  


It feels stupid coming from his mouth, but the agent isn’t sure how to approach the situation. Moneypenny is quick to follow his lead, taking a step forward and aiming her gun.  


Whatever the men were trying to do, they succeeded. The thing they were shoving down the other man’s throat is gone. And when the first man looks back at them Bond sees the black appendages coming from his face crawl back into his mouth. Witnessing that has both agents locking up and two men flee into another room, leaving their victim thrashing and chocking on the floor.  


The remaining man rolls to his knees grasping at the bulge his throat in increasing desperation. His movements erratic as he coughs and gasps. Spit fleis from his mouth, and he grabs at his face when he fails to dislodge the obstruction in his neck.  


Bond and Moneypenny are stopped in their attempts to offer assistance by a small tug on their holsters.  


Coeus holds tightly to them not allowing them any closer to the flailing man. The agents, confused, make eye contact with one another before looking back at the boy.  


“What are you-“  


“Too late.” The words are spoken softly, gently as if he's trying to comfort the agents barring witness. Coeus never looks away from the stranger but there was a resigned sadness on his face. “Aim for the head. Make it quick.”  


Bond almost flinches back at the words.  


Moneypenny looks sick.  


‘I thought this kid wanted to help the man, now he’s telling us to perform an execution.’  


“What?”  


Coeus shrinks back, letting go of the agents the moving to press his back against the wall, making himself as small as possible.  


“It’s coming.” The whispered warning is the only ominous explanation they get.  


Bond and Moneypenny whip their head back towards the man.  


He's standing now, head down, arms loose. He isn’t chocking, isn’t flailing, isn’t moving.  


Isn’t moving.  


Isn’t moving.  


There’s blood dripping from his face.  


Slowly the man raises his head to look at the three. Bond swallows hard at the sight of the red running from his eyes.  


Eyes that roll uncontrollably in their sockets.  


Eyes that turn from a dark brown to a pale empty gray.  


Eyes that lock into place, zeroing in on the smaller figure positioned between the two agents.  


Bond hears a sharp intake of breath behind him.  


The man charges.  


Before he can even comprehend what's happening Bond is stepping in front of the man and forcing him back with a shove. The man charges forward again like something possessed, growling and snapping his teeth. His gaze never strays from the boy pressed against the wall.  


A well-placed kick in the chest from Moneypenny has the man staggering back long enough for the agents to shoot that him. And they strike true, bullets from both guns blowing different sections of the man’s face and head apart.  


He falls still onto the floor, foot twitching once. Blood pooling beneath his head.  


Bond moves forward intent on ensuring the man’s death as Moneypenny backs up ushering Coeus to her side.  


“What the hell just happened?”  


Moneypenny draws one arm around the boy’s slender shoulders pulling him to her waist in a protective gesture. Her gun held steady in her other hand. Coeus allows her handling, not resisting in the slightest, though his stiff movements give away his discomfort. Bond notes that the boy is attempting to comfort her. A little hand coming to pat the one on his shoulder gently and reassuringly.  


The blank gaze is back, kid isn’t the least bit surprised at what happened.  


“You got an explanation for us?”  


Behind the glasses, Bond sees Coeus look up from the body to him. “Not one we have time to get into right now. The demonstration has already started.”  


“What demonstration?” Moneypenny looks back and forth between them.  


“I thought we’d have more time. I sent- I sent my distress call out as soon as I could. The demonstration shouldn’t have started for another forty minutes. If people are already being infected...we have to hurry.”  


Coeus moves from Moneypenny’s side and strides forward in determined distress. He runs his hands through his curls, eyes moving rapidly as his mind runs a mile a minute.  


Bond steps in front of the him, hands out to show no aggression is meant. He needs to calm the kid down, the shaking of the hands in his hair betrays his anxiety even as his young face remained impassive.  


“Wait, kid you need to slow down here.”  


“We’ve waisted enough time as it is. People are dying.”  


“Dying from what? What was that just now? What happened?”  


Coeus pulls the hands from his hair and meets Bond’s stare with a sad sort of smile.  


“Congratulations agents. You’ve just survived your first encounter with a low-grade Bioweapon. You should be proud, not many are so lucky.”  


Bond can’t find any words to respond with.  


“B.O.W.? That man? But if you knew he was a B.O.W. why go out of the way to try and help...“  


“He wasn’t the B.O.W. The thing those men forced down his throat was. It infected him.”  


Coeus cut Moneypenny off in clear irritation.  


“We have to get to Captain DeChant. I need to get him my samples and information before the demonstration can grow out of control.”  


Bond nods silently.  


Coeus makes his way to the door the assailants before fled through, allowing Bond to take lead again. Moneypenny doesn’t look pleased with not knowing what's going on, and Bond can’t say he blames her. He feel completely out of his depth. Not something the agent is used to feeling.  


The next room holds another door into a different alley.  


‘And the labyrinth goes on.’  


Bond is on edge.  


“It’s not uncommon.”  


Bond doesn’t stop walking but glances back at the boy as he speaks.  


“Most Bioterrorists like to show off what their latest creations can do before they make a sale.”  


“A demonstration.”  


The boy nods. “Usually they choose an isolated area of people, unleash a Bioweapon and watch the results. If the buyer is satisfied a deal is made.”  


Coeus furrows his brow, the action scrunching up his face in a pout. “It doesn’t make sense though. Irving is still in the city. If he was going to demonstrate he would have moved himself and the buyer away from the site. Far enough away that they won’t get caught in the crossfire.”  


“They would just do that? Just use an untested weapon on random people. How have they not gotten caught?”  


Moneypenny aims her gun out the door, providing cover for Bond as he opens it.  


“These aren’t your average terrorists. A lot of them have connections with several governments around the world. Once a deal is met the area used for the demonstration is…cleansed.”  


Bond doesn’t like the sound of that.  


“Cleansed how?”  


Three move as one unit out of the barren backyard and onto a narrow dirt road. Bond and Moneypenny clear each corner before Coeus takes his place between them keeping low and close to the walls.  


“How else do you think? What’s the one thing that is capable of cleaning out a contamination completely.”  


Moneypenny looks at Bond as they swept another narrow street, well-held horror in her eyes.  


“Fire.”  


Coeus grimaces. “Raining down from the heavens above.”  


“An airstrike?”  


Bond struggles keep the disbelief out of his voice.  


It's one thing to have connections within a government. But to have so much power that an airstrike could be called upon at any moment during a ‘demonstration’ is something he can’t wrap his head around.  


“It’s often marked off as a training accident, or something of a similar notion. You remember what happened to Raccoon City?”  


“The power plant meltdown that happened in America twenty years ago?”  


Coeus was silent, staring at Moneypenny as realization dawns on her face. Both their faces really. Bond isn’t sure he's able to keep his face as impassive as he wants.  


“It wasn’t...“  


“A demonstration gone wrong. Really wrong. To be honest I don’t even think it was a demonstration to begin with. Someone just messed up and a Bioweapon escaped into the town from the mountains.” The boy’s face twists in disgust and he spits his words in a hiss. “The US government didn’t want it getting out that a pharmaceutical company they backed had caused the outbreak, so they ordered an airstrike and wiped the city off the damned map. The coverup was that the plant on the outskirts of the city experienced a meltdown. Any survivors of the attack were placed into ‘protected custody’.”  


Bond turns to Coeus. “How would you even know that? You weren’t even born yet.”  


Coeus brings a hand to his chest and throws his head back in a false act of offence. “Please, give me some credit here. I’ve been investigating and infiltrating the assholes behind these Bioweapons attacks since I was seven. Something as big as that has to have some form of paper trail. And if there’s a trail you can bet your ass I can find it.”  


“Seven?” Moneypenny whispers to herself.  


Bond isn’t sure what to make of the information himself.  


Baby. This tiny boy is practically a baby and he’s been throwing himself at dangerous individuals hellbent on burning the world since he was even smaller than that and for what. Bond can’t even remember what he was doing at the age of seven  


They turn into another cramped alley.  


“Why are you doing this?” Bond watches Coeus carefully, hoping he isn’t crossing any lines.  


“Because I have information no one else has been able to retrieve. And once I get to the BSAA I can hand off the case to them and move on to my next lead. Hopefully it won’t take me as long to find something, but Africa is a huge place so you can’t really blame me for taking three years. Coeus shrugs nonchalantly, like he didn’t just admit he was going back into fighting a bio arms race by himself.  


“No hon. Why are you doing any of this at all?” Moneypenny backs Bond up in his questioning.  


Something dark passes over the boy’s face, emptying out his eyes.  


They crossed a line.  


But before Coeus can open his mouth to respond, numerous enraged shouts echo across the alley.  


Bond and Moneypenny turn to face the way they came to find several dozen inhabitants rushing towards them, each brandishing a weapon.  


“Oh shit!” Moneypenny cries out in alarm.  


“Shit.” Bond parrots back.  


Coeus is silent as he flees behind the agents. Once he’s safely out of the way they begin to fire into the crowd, not bothering with a warning.  


Round after round is fired, each shot hitting a target but barely doing anything to stop their collective advance. Those that fall are trampled. Bond and Moneypenny are forced back to evade being hit by blunt and sharp weapons alike.  


Bond wants to check behind them. Wants to locate his charge and ensure that the attacks are being directed only towards them; but whenever he tries his attention is brought right back to the fight to avoid a swing toward his head.  


‘Damn, I need that kid to let me know he’s okay.’  


Not a single sound is coming from behind the agents, until.  


“Agent Bond, Agent Moneypenny! Quickly, over here!”  


Bond snaps his head back and finds Coeus several yards behind them holding a reinforced door open and ushering them inside.  


Bond places his hand on the small of Moneypenny’s back as they sprint towards the house. He can hear the mob behind them racing to catch up. His heart is pounding in his throat, and his knee is beginning to ache again, but he refuses to move ahead of the other agent.  


Coeus eyes are large as he watches their approach. No doubt reacting to the crowd trailing close behind. Bond can see the boy muttering under his breath, his chapped lips repeating the same word.  


It was only as they made it to the door he heard the child reciting, ‘go, go, go, go’ to himself.  


They pass the threshold at full speed. The agents stumbling down a small set of stairs leading right into the main room. Bond turns and watches as Coeus throws the door closed behind them and barricades them in using a wooden slab. The boy puts his back on the door as if he could hold it shut when the angry public outside starts to pound on the metal. Their angry shouting reverberating through the room.  


Bond places a hand on his knee kneading the area as it throbs. Moneypenny is leaning over a table sucking in air that probably has more to do with fright than the run itself. Coeus grips the railing on the stairs as he makes his way towards them. He stares at them, worrying his already torn bottom lip.  


“You guys okay? Anything injured?” He's watching Bond rub at his knee with a guilty expression.  


“Yeah, how did you know about...“  


“I’ve lived around here for about three years off and on. I always make sure I know where my escape routes are. In case I needed to ghost, you know? Agent Moneypenny?”  


Her breathing is coming back to normal as she calms herself down. “Fine. I’m fine. Just- I’ve never had to go up against an entire mob like that. Bit overwhelming.”  


That's an understatement if Bond ever heard one. Sure, he’s had to go up against groups of enemies before but there is something more terrifying about facing down that many people with a single-minded need to cause harm.  


Coeus rubs at the back of his head and adjusts the strap holding his glasses in place. “You’ll get used to it. Just don’t think of the things coming at you as people. They’re gone. Mercy kill, if you will. Makes it easier in the long run. Don’t worry you guys did good.”  


The fact that this kid feel the need to offer some form of comfort to them time and time again is not sitting right with Bond. They're supposed to be protecting him, not getting advice on how to deal with the impending trauma the mission is throwing at them.  


“Are you okay?”  


“Me?”  


‘Christ, he sounds surprised at the question.’  


“Yes, you.”  


“Yeah, no. I’m fine. This isn’t anything new to me. Pretty run of the mill stuff this.” Coeus smiles in what he’s sure is supposed to be reassuring but to Bond it’s really not.  


Moneypenny turns to him. “We should inform the BSAA about the attack. This is larger than we expected.”  


“Agreed.” Bringing a hand to his earwig Bond connects a line. “Kirk, the locals are hostile. We’ve had to use force in order to protect the informant. Is there a contingency plan for a situation like this?”  


Kirks voice sounds over the agent’s comms. Coeus steps towards Moneypenny attempting to listen in as well. She leans down allowing her ear close to his.  


“Affirmative on the locals, but your orders still stand. Bring the informant to the rendezvous point. Take whatever action is need to ensure the informants’ safety.”  


The connection cuts, leaving the agents with static in their ears.  


“Did the BSAA expect something like this to happen? Why weren’t we informed ahead of time?”  


Coeus moves away, nodding in thanks. “It’s like I’ve said before about the demonstrations. The BSAA knows how these assholes work, they, like me, were just hoping we’d have more time before the demonstration started.”  


Bond figures that makes sense. “Let’s get moving then.”  


“Towns square should just be past this next street. We can use the cellar in the kitchen to avoid the locals. It’ll bring us right there.”  


Bond and Moneypenny nod at the boy’s directions and proceed.  


Despite the disturbingly large cleavers and questionable meat they found in the kitchen of the house and the body hanging upside down in the cellar the group isn’t met with any obstacles. At the end of the tunneled cellar is a ladder leading up into the shed Coeus spoke of. And sure enough the small shed they came to from the cellar has a path that leads right to a market house.  


Some form of commotion can be heard in the distance. A fence covers the side of the building, not allowing the three of them to see what is happening. Bond has a bad feeling.  


“Somethings wrong.” Coeus said.  


Bond holds up his hand as a signal for their younger member to wait at the door as the two agents perform a sweep of the single roomed building. Moneypenny follows him inside gun raised. There's nothing inside apart from a few tables, loose shelves and boxes holding what must be merchandise. The market house doesn’t look to have been in business for a while now.  


As they come closer to a window facing the rest of towns square, Bond finds the source of the noise they heard earlier.  


People.  


So many fucking people.  


Far more than the few dozen they fled from before. Crowding around a raised wooden platform, cheering and shouting at what is happening in front of them. A man with a megaphone, the same man yelling from the radio, the agent notes, is screaming at the crowd aggressively. Bond can’t interpret what the man is saying. But whatever it is, it isn’t anything good.  


Joined with him on the platform are two other men holding a struggling third in between them. A third who just so happen to be wearing a white turban and screaming in the same graveled voice that introduced their informant to them.  


“YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT! YOU CAN ALL GO TO HELL!”  


“Wait a minute,”  


James jumps at the sound of the scared voice coming from behind them.  


“I thought I told you to..”  


Looking back at the child, Coeus isn’t even paying him any mind, his focus solely on the harassed figure outside. “Isn’t that...“ His voice is becoming more distressed as he move to the window.  


James places a hand in the middle of the boy’s small chest trying to ease him away from the opening. Away from what was sure to come. Coeus doesn’t budge. If anything, Bond would swear he's pushing against a brick wall that's pushing back.  


Moneypenny isn’t moving away either. Just as enraptured by the scene outside as the boy is.  


Bond, not finding any help, fails in keeping the boy away from the window. Instead he grabs the back of Coeus’ jacket, ready to yank the child away at a moment’s notice.  


The man with the megaphone finishes his riveting speech and steps back allowing another figure into the spotlight.  


Bond fights to breathe. He hears Moneypenny’s own breath hitch and Coeus is shaking his head back and forth bringing a hand to his mouth and biting hard on the fat of his palm.  


The giant that comes forward is nothing like Bond had ever seen.  


It’s large, larger than any natural man could be. A dark sack covers its head. Gloves coated in blood come up to its biceps and match perfectly with the blood-soaked apron tied to its body. What little skin that shows is grey, bloated and stitched together like some kind of Frankenstein’s monster.  


Nails.  


Nails.  


Ten-inch fucking nails are driven into its head through the sack and its shoulders.  


Dragging with little effort behind it was what could only be described as an enormous ax with a meat tenderizer on the back. Bond wants to laugh hysterically at how ridiculously huge and threatening the weapon is. Its rusted blade length on the ax alone is wider than the Double 0’s shoulders. And the meat tenderizer could flatten the three of them with one hit.  


Megaphone man nods at the creature and it steps forward.  


Their contact is forced to his knees and bent over.  


The crowd will completely over run them if they try to help. They're stuck. Unable to do anything but watch.  


The monster swings the ax behind it before raising it in the air. The shadow it cast is ominous. The weapon idles in the air for a moment before gravity takes over, allowing its full weight to bring it back down again.  


Moneypenny forces her head away, pulling Coeus against her to block his vison and covers his ears. He doesn’t resist.  


Bond hears the man’s screaming cut off and the horrid sound of metal connecting with meat. The two beside him balk together, the other agent clutching at the child even more.  


It is silent.  


The executioner holds the ax behind it.  


A pose of smug victory.  


It is silent.  


Blood cascades like water off the blade.  


Pooling in puddles onto the stage.  


It is silent.  


The men holding their once struggling contact let go.  


The body slumps forward.  


It is silent.  


Then it’s not.  


The crowd cries in unabashed celebration. Their arms pump in the air and they cheer with their weapons clenched in tight fists. In what could have only been mere seconds of quiet seemed to Bond like hours of stillness. The sheer scope of what he just witnessed has the agent sick to his stomach, yet he finds he can’t look away either. The leading man watches the crowd on his platform in what must be pride.  


Until his eyes meet Bond’s through the window.  


‘Fuck.’  


The megaphone is back to the man’s lips as he screams once more at the crowd. Everyone listening whips their heads towards their direction. Turning their bodies in unison, ready to charge.  


‘Fuck.’  


Bond can see the exact moment the man spots Coeus in Moneypenny’s arms. He points aggressively at the child, screaming even louder into the amplifier causing the device to whine in exertion. One last word leaving his mouth as the call to attack.  


‘FUCK!’  


The sea of hostiles race to the chain link gates separating the market house from the rest of the square yard. Bond raises his weapon ready, trailing behind Moneypenny as she drags Coeus back the way they came.  


“FUCK!”  


Instead of going through the back door, she pushes the boy away from the opening and slams the door closed just as a sickle splinters the wood where her head used to be. She backs up rapidly, holding her gun in front of her.  


Bond doesn’t hesitate, grabbing a nearby shelf and shoving it against the door. Effectively cutting off their only means of escape.  


Coeus for his part is remarkably calm. Eerily so. He backs into the corner of the room with his posterior to the wall and stays out of the way; looking to Bond and Moneypenny for direction.  


“Shit, shit, shit. We’re stuck!”  


“Start moving the shelving in front of the window, I got the other door!”  


Moneypenny springs into action, putting her full weight into the thick shelf and blocking the window they were just occupying. Bond sprints to the other side of the room and does the same for the door leading to the square.  


A smaller window shows Bond the armed men scaling the fence and running for the door. He braces himself against it, feeling the shelf budge inwards as they try and force their way in. Breaking glass has Bond looking up. He sees Moneypenny holding the shelf still for the window. Arms are squeezing themselves through the small space between the shelf unconcerned with the glass cutting the limbs to shreds. Coeus has left his corner and is adding more furniture to the other door as it buckles, struggling to pull a table with him.  


Bond connects the line in his earwig. “Kirk, we’re in towns square but we’re surrounded by hostiles. The gate out is sealed. We need back up and we need it right now!”  


“Rodger that, agent. Making my way to your location now. Hang tight.”  


“Back up is comin-“  


Bond watches the ceiling above Coeus give way, showering the small figure with debris. The boy raises his arms to shield his head and rolls under the table he was pulling to avoid damage. Bond sees more men welding various weapons above their heads through the hole.  


“Oh, shit!” Coeus coughs through the dust surrounding him.  


Three men drop down, landing in front of the child, giving Coeus no option but to flee out from under the table and back himself against the wall for more distance. Bond moves from his position against the door to defend their charge but Moneypenny is already upon them.  


A head shot causes a man’s cranium to explode in a shower of gore and a black flower of tentacles at the base of the neck sprouts in a dying scream. Moneypenny doesn’t stop to gawk at the dead man only charging forward to roundhouse another before he could strike the child down.  


Bond reaches them, planting his gun to the last man’s temple and pulling the trigger. Coeus stays in the corner, joined by his protectors, allowing both agents full view of the room. The shelf covering the window is knocked away and the ones against the doors soon follows.  


“Kirk better get here soon, or we’re fucked.”  


Bond silently agrees with Moneypenny as they fired rounds into every head that entered the room. Calling out every time they made to reload.  


The agent is finding himself grateful for whoever packed the extra ammo in the case.  


A hand grabs the back of his belt, causing Bond to jump and swing his head behind him. It's Coeus. Most of his body is hidden behind Moneypenny, clinging to her belt as well. The boy is taking deep, controlled breaths. He meets Bonds eyes and grips his belt even tighter. Probably for reassurance that the two of them are near. The agent could only theorize.  


The Double 0 could praise the heavens that their charge is keeping himself calm for the most part through the chaos that surrounds them. Bond isn’t sure he could handle a panicked or crying child in this situation.  


The horrid sound of metal on metal and the shake of the ground has Bond suddenly remembering there is a lumbering giant with a huge fucking ax still in the vicinity.  


“I think that was the gate outside.” Coeus said.  


“Shit.” Moneypenny makes the same connection.  


No sooner is the connection made did the far wall at the front of the market building collapse under the strike of the ax. Brick and cement fall, and a large cloud of dust replacing the air.  


‘Christ it’s even bigger up close.’  


Bond isn’t sure if he's referring to the weapon or the creature itself.  


More people flood in behind the monster not caring in the slightest that it appeared that some of their own were caught in the way of its swing. Dismembered corpses litter the ground outside the new entry.  


“We need to move; we’re sitting duck here!”  


Moneypenny is unloading her new clip into the beast in front of them. The bullets penetrate the thick leathery skin, but the thing doesn’t so much as flinch.  


“Cover me!”  


Bond isn’t sure who gives the call until he sees a small body rush past him and right for the massive abomination.  


Bond feels panic replace the blood in his veins as he watches Coeus weave between hostiles. Moneypenny is screaming after the boy in distress. The Double 0 and agent beside him are forced to take action by shooting at the men who make to grab at the boy. Every hostile zeroing in on him and him alone.  


Bond can only watch as Coeus stands toe to toe in front of the monster that stalks through the room. The size difference is absurd. David against his Goliath.  


The creature makes to swing its ax.  


‘Shit, that’s it. This kid is dead.’  


Bond and Moneypenny shoot everything they have into the things head, doing whatever it took to keep their charge alive.  


Despite its mass it still took some time to raise the weapon over its head. Enough time for Coeus to duck between its massive form and takes a stance right behind it.  


Everything that happens next feels like it’s moving slower than what the turmoil surrounding them would suggest.  


Bond watches Coeus pull his stupid big jacket open and reach inside.  


He sees it then.  


Perfectly well hidden under his unneeded layer is a shoulder holster. And inside the holster, sits a damned S&W M500 magnum. A gun that can very easily rip the head off the thing in front of him with one clean shot.  


‘This kid’s been armed to the teeth the entire time?’  


Rather than grab the gun Coeus goes further back and pulls out what looks like a police baton from his belt. Or it does until the boy whips it to the side and activates an electric charge through the metal.  


‘Stun Rod’  


Coeus raises the rod over his opposite shoulder, careful to keep his other limb out of the way. The electric current is so close to the kids face it looks like his green eyes are glowing behind his glasses.  


With what can only be described as a war cry, Coeus swings the rod and connects it with the back of the goliath’s knees.  


The effect is immediate.  


Muscles spasm uncontrollably, it twitches, dropping the ax and falling to its knees. The smell of burning flesh fills the room as electricity causes the creature to literally begin to smoke and cook.  


Bond isn’t sure how much of a charge that thing in the kid’s hand holds but he doesn’t want to get hit with it, that’s for damn sure.  


That is one problem temporarily taken care of but even with ax head out of commission the room is still filling up with the small fry that is seconds from wholly overcoming them. The Double 0 is just about to call the boy back over to them when the kid beats him to it.  


“HIDE YOUR EYES!”  


Coeus reaches for the back of his belt, hidden once again by his jacket, and pulls out something small and cylinder. He pulls a pin from the top and throws it into the middle of the room. Bond barely has time to bring his arm up to cover his eyes when a bright light causes the area to whiten out.  


‘Flash grenade. Where in the hell did this kid get a flash grenade?’  


His ears are ringing and black spots dance in his vision, but Bond can feel something tugging on his arm. When his sight returns to him the agent sees Coeus pulling himself and Moneypenny out of the building and past the destroyed chain-link fence. The hostiles they pass all struggle to regain their senses, swinging wildly at each other.  


“...up we...keep mo...come on!”  


As the ringing in head stops Bond gradually hears Coeus screaming at them as he practically drags them across the square yard.  


It isn’t until Coeus stops abruptly that the Double 0 finally comes out of his daze. He hears his charge gasp and the cause of it turns out to be a rather large metal door blocking their exit of the square. Moneypenny curses beside him, having regained her bearings.  


“That...that wasn’t here yesterday. When did they manage to...“ Whatever the boy was going to say is cut off by his surprised yelp when a small hatchet planted itself next to his foot. Coeus jumps back and takes cover behind Bond.  


Bond is quick to shoot the bastard that threw the thing, hitting the man right between the eyes.  


“Nice shot.” Coeus whispers behind his waist.  


Bond tries not to feel too smug at the compliment.  


Beside him Moneypenny is not holding back. Shooting at anything that dares to move in their direction.  


While it's nice that they're no longer cramped in that death trap of a building, they now have the new problem of a wide-open space. Bond can already see the enemies Coeus stunned making their way out of the market. It won’t take long before they're surrounded.  


They need a plan and they need it now.  


Bond is so preoccupied with the flurry of motion in front of him he fails to notice that someone had rushed up behind him until he hears a choking sound and the smell of cooked meat enters the sky. Swinging his head around Bond see a man with a pickax fall to the ground in a seizure. Flashes of electricity danced along the man’s skin as it blackened with the heat. Coeus looms over the man, sneer on his face and strike the downed man again with the stun rod.  


This time the chocking stops, though the body didn’t.  


“Look Out!”  


Coeus jumps into Bonds arms, the Double 0 catches the boy by reaction alone, taking him off guard. The kid grabs at the agent's shoulder holster, he twists and kicks Moneypenny hard in the waist to throw her to the ground. The momentum pushes them behind a fruit stand. Or what once was a fruit stand if the rotten mush on the surface was anything to go by.  


Not a second after they landed did the ground they occupied before crumble beneath the weight of the Executioner’s attack.  


Bond is finding it hard to breath with the dust in the air and adrenaline in his system. On the other side of the ax Moneypenny doesn’t look to be fairing any better.  


Coeus, however, is evidently in his element. The boy is back on his feet and charging at the giant a second time in as many minutes, stun rod clenched tightly in his hands.  


The Executioner notices the child approaching and, to Bond’s panic, raises its fist rather than waste time lifting its weapon off the ground.  


“Shit! KID!”  


Bond watches Coeus skid to a halt as the large appendage rapidly closes to gap between them. The change in the boy’s body language is immediate. Squaring his shoulders, spreading his legs and feet wide apart, and bringing his thin arms up to protect his head using the deactivated stun rod as a poor attempt at a shield, James is horrified to see the kid ready to take the blow like a boxer.  


Bond is curtain in the next blink of an eye he's going to see Coeus smeared across the square.  


Instead a shot rings out and a power transformer sitting on the top of the pole behind the creature falls. The resulting flash of electricity that explodes from the transformer causes a similar reaction to Coeus’ stun rod. The mammoth of a man goes down to one knee, contracting muscles unable to hold it up.  


Taking his chance and not wasting a second of it, Coeus reactivates the charge on the rod and smacks the beast in the sacked face so hard some of the nails in its head were driven even further into its skull. Bond winces, the sound of the smack causing a painful phantom shake in his own arms, and he isn’t even the one swinging.  


The executioner goes down hard and after yet another strike from the boy’s weapon he stays down without a sound.  


The boy looks up from the corpse with a smile and Bond follows his line of sight to Moneypenny who watched the gruesome exchange from her place on the floor. Her gun is still posed in the air, trembling.  


“Thanks for the assist, Agent.”  


“Y-yeah. No Problem.”  


Bond would have preferred to just lay down again and not get up till he had a full grasp on the situation but the angered cries and stampede of hostile individuals forces him to his feet. Somewhere in the background he can still hear the man with the megaphone.  


“We gotta move.”  


Bond stands and resumes planting his ammo into the mass of bodies charging for them. Moneypenny herds both herself and Coeus to him and joins.  


The square is its own labyrinth of stairs and open buildings they maneuvere in and out of. They run across flattened rooftops and leap from roof to roof. While jumping back to the ground below Bond catches Coeus in his arms and places him back on the dirt gently before taking his hand and fleeing again. At this point the three are just running in circles trying to avoid being boxed in.  


“There’s just no end to them!”  


“We’ve got to hold down till Kirk gets here.”  


“On your right, 007!”  


The only reason Bond can figure they are still alive at all is due to the complete and total disorganization of the people attacking. They're clumsy, and sloppy in their strikes. And after a few moments their attack patterns become easy to predict. Any that make it too close to the group are quickly dealt with by way of an electrical death via a preteen.  


Bond wants to demand the boy stay behind them, but the truth is Coues is a considerable part of why the three of them aren’t being completely overwhelmed. His keen eyes guarding their blind spots as the agents focus elsewhere.  


“There! Three o’clock!”  


Bond and Moneypenny swing their heads around to find the man with the megaphone pointing in their direction and screaming. He’s standing at the end of an alleyway in the square. Bond and Moneypenny make eye contact and together bring up their guns. Both of the man’s kneecaps crumple as the agent’s bullets blow apart his legs.  


The man’s screams of rage morph into cries of pain. Coeus doesn’t let the opportunity pass him, charging at the man and bringing the rod across his face. The cries stop as the man’s head snaps to the side, his jaw hanging out of socket. He falls, like so many others, at the boy’s feet.  


Coeus watches the body twitch for a moment. Something like satisfaction and regret warring for control on his face. He backs away from the corpse and to the agents waiting for him. When he meets their eyes, he nods his thanks.  


Bond can relate to the overpowering need to avenge a fallen friend. He isn’t sure if what he did was right, but he wasn’t about to steal away the young man’s lawful kill. That was his comrade up on that stage. And now both judge and executioner met the same fate by the boy’s wrath.  


The moment is over as fast as it came. The three forced to flee once more as hostiles converge on their location. They find themselves back at the barrier that's keeping them trapped.  


The Double 0 is beginning to seriously doubt their chances when he sees another wave of villagers practically crawl out of the wood works. He's on his last magazine, and if the curse that comes from his female counterpart is anything to go by she is too. Coeus is breathing hard next to him and a sweat had broken out on his head like theirs. They're all reaching their limit.  


"Here they come!" Coeus mutters. 

Just as the mob takes to the square and barrage of bullets rain down from the sky, tearing through hostiles in a red mist. Bond raises his eyes to the sky to see the Black Hawk circling the square. The mini gun on the side maned and firing death from above.  


Their commlink activate.  


“Sorry to keep you waiting. I’m going to take out the door, find some cover.”  


Bond doesn’t need to be told twice. He grabs Coeus’ hand and runs from the barricade. Moneypenny has one hand planted on the boy’s back guiding him forward as she follows.  


Bodies litter the ground around them. They have to leap over and dodge the figures that had fallen, struggling not to trip and join them.  


Bond wants to pick the boy up and keep his face hidden from the massacre but at this point their informant has contributed to at least a quarter of those deaths alone and he probably wouldn’t appreciate the manhandling. Besides Coeus is maneuvering the battlefield as deftly as the agents themselves.  


“Get down.”  


They take cover behind a stripped bus in the middle of the square. Moneypenny further in brings Coeus down with her, guiding him by the hand to kneel and gently placing the other on the back of his neck. Bond, closest to the outside, puts his back to the square to cover the two with his mass; keeping the boy close to his chest and making sure Moneypenny’s head is lower than his own. Despite his obvious discomfort Coeus allows the two to handle him and places his hands over his ears.  


The sharp whistle of a speeding rocket flies by overhead, followed seconds by a deafening screaming of steel exploding outward.  


A rush of heat burns at Bond’s back and legs, but he keeps a tight grip on his companions. He focuses on Moneypenny’s breath on his neck and the small, rapid heartbeat he can feel from the child he keeps pressed to his chest.  


Only after the ringing in his ear stops does he let go and allow the three of them to stand up. They step out of cover and take in the carnage that was once the town square. The barrier that had held them trapped before is blown wide open creating a maw of twisted metal and pointed ends.  


The market is quiet of raged screaming and aggressive shouting.  


Despite the calm Bond is sure he's deaf. Only able to hear the blood in his ears and the breath heaving from his lungs.  


Until he hears a small laugh.  


Bond stares down at the source.  


Coeus has a smile on his face that is too wide and anxious to be genuine. He eyes dart around the environment searchingly until finally meeting Bond’s. His shoulders hunch to his ears and he doesn’t seem to be able to wipe the grin of his face. But seeing the agents gaze brings out another nervous laugh as he averts his eyes again.  


“Wow. That was a rush. Right?”  


Bond chances a glance at Moneypenny to see her staring down at the boy as well. He can see the shock setting in behind the alarm on her face. Somehow he's sure the same expression is being mirrored by him.  


Coeus takes off his glasses and pulls out a cloth from his pocket. He wipes the thin layer of dust that covers each lens. Reaching up Bond rubs at his own hair dislodging the collecting powder in the blond strands. Moneypenny sneezes. Coues replaces the glasses on his face making sure the leather strap is secure.  


Without a word Coeus starts making his way to the stage. Bond and Moneypenny sputter after him. Just before he can climb the ladder leading up, Moneypenny grabs his satchel holding him in place.  


“What do you think you’re doing?”  


“I have to grab his dog tags.”  


Bond feels sick. “Just leave it for his comrades to...”  


“I can’t do that.” Coeus lets the agents move him away from the ladder patiently.  


“Hon, this is...”  


“The BSAA have their hands full as it is, there is a high chance that his body will never be recovered.” The boy speaks slowly, like they were children that need to understand something grown up. “If the place gets cleansed then he is lost. Something needs to make it back to his family. Just in case.”  


“I’ll grab them.” Bond doesn’t want the kid to see what’s left of his contact on the platform above.  


Coeus looks like he wants to argue. Instead he slumps his shoulders and nods. He swallows hard. “Say good-bye to him for me okay. This might be my last chance.”  


Bond nods. When he looks at the other agent she nods as well wrapping an arm around the boy’s shoulder.  


Coeus pats her hand. “It’s okay agent. These things happen. All part of the job.”  


She’s stricken.  


Bond makes his way up the rickety ladder finally coming to the top. He’s incredibly glad he didn’t allow Coeus up here.  


Blood is caked on almost every inch of the platform. It’s stained the wood dark red and brown. The smell makes his eyes water. Nooses are hanging from a pole behind him. The indents in the wood show this isn’t the first time someone was brought up here to die. With how heavy that ax was Bond is honest to God surprised the platform is still standing.  


The slumped remains of their contact are in the center. His head had rolled a ways away from his body. The turban is unraveled, uncovering a crown of dirty blond hair.  


Bond walks up to the body and kneels. The blade of the ax must have been blunt. the cut along the neck is jagged and uneven. The force and weight of the blow is what ultimately severed the head not sharpness.  


The agent gags.  


Not wasting anymore time, Bond grabs the dog tags he can see peeking from inside the man’s shirt. He stands and does his best to wipe off a majority of the blood that blemishes the metal.  


‘Reynard Fisher’  


Bond looks back down at the body.  


“The kid, Coeus, wanted to come say good-bye. But I figured you wouldn’t want him to see this, so I hope a message from me instead is okay.  


Bond feels stupid, talking to a corpse but he promised the kid and if this is something he wanted to do he may as well do it for him.  


The two below don’t move as he descends the ladder. After his feet touch the ground the Double 0 turns to his charge and hands over the dog tags. Moneypenny watches the exchange in silence.  


Coeus clutches them tightly not looking up at the man in front of him. After a moment the boy loops the chain around his neck and tucks the tags under his shirt and nods. “So, lets...lets go transfer my intel, yeah?”  


Bond and Moneypenny watch the boy trudge forward, satchel bounding on his leg as he steps carefully over bodies. He’s holding his deactivated stun rod in a death grip.  


Moneypenny is the first to recover. Blinking quickly to bring herself out of whatever funk she found herself in and follows after him. Bond looks to the sky and waves at the helicopter still circling above them, not entirely sure Kirk can see it.  


The agent rolls his shoulders and cracks his neck before meeting his small team of three at the broken gate. Both watch his approach with anticipation for what awaits them next.  


Bond nods to Moneypenny and they take up positions around Coeus before continuing forward.  


Glancing back Bond focuses on the boy in their care. His expression had reverted back to the calm, blank gaze from before as he patiently waits to follow his lead. James turns away and shutters.  


“What the hell have we gotten ourselves into.”


	2. 1-2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They are wasting time. Coeus needs to get to Alpha Team, Bond and Moneypenny need to get Coeus evacuated, but they're wasting time. Between all the arguments he keeps getting into with the brat it'll be a miracle they make it before nightfall. At least Moneypenny is keeping a straight head. Bond swears if they manage to live through this he might just kill the kid himself. Maybe.
> 
> Probably not. But no biscuits for him. That's final Moneypenny.
> 
> Okay. One.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings:  
> Blood and gore  
> Cursing, like a lot of it  
> Mentions of sexual activity/images. Nothing non con and nothing towards anyone underage  
> Excessive body horror  
> Violence against children  
> Mentions of being sick
> 
> Stay safe, and if there are any I missed let me know.

Chapter 1-2 

“Kirk, we owe you one.”

“Y-yeah, came right in time too.” 

Moneypenny is struggling to still the shaking in her hands. It might not be obvious at first glance, but Bond can see the slight tremor. He can’t fault her for it. She’s more tailored to undercover operations and intel gathering than actual physical engagement with the enemy like this. 

Hell, he himself isn’t tailored for a mission like this. 

Going up against mobs of people infected with some sort of B.O.W., monsters that can take multiple shots to the head without flinching, protecting children with more knowledge about the crazy shit that’s happening around them than the adults. 

No, Bond can safely say that they are both far out of their league with this assignment. 

His partner is holding herself together well enough and it was her quick thinking back in that fight that saved the kid from becoming a red smear on the dirt road. 

‘It’s more than I can say I did.’ James grips his gun tighter to hide his own trembling.

Coeus is staring at a wide, deep cemented ditch on the side of the dirt sidewalk. He cracks his neck and rolls his shoulders; his feet kicking idly at the ground. The emote of calm and collected. He has to push his wet curls out of his face to make a wipe at the sweat that’s collected on his forehead.

‘Maybe if the kid would take off that damn jacket of his, he wouldn’t have that problem.’

That’s a lie. 

There’s sweat soaking the three of them. The sun is high in the mid-day sky and it’s scorching. that’s beside the point, he’s going to be pissed if he has to deal with the brat getting heat stroke because of that extra layer.

And if the Double 0 also wants a peek at what other weapons the kid could be carrying, well that’s no one’s business but his own.

Bond can see the subtle side eye Coeus is giving the both of them. But it’s more of the ‘awaiting orders’ variety rather than the ‘I don’t trust you two not to shoot me in the back’ kind.

Progress then.

“You can thank me later. Agents, the time frame for the mission has moved up. Alpha team is going in now.” The Black Hawk is hovering around their location. 

“What about the intel transfer?” Moneypenny glances over at Coeus. She gives him a reassuring smile when he turns to look at her. The small inquisitive lift of his eyebrow shows he isn’t buying what she’s selling.

“What’s going on?”

“It’s too late for that. With the demonstration starting sooner than anticipated the capture of Ricardo Irving is now top priority.”

“What’s happening?” 

The boy grabs at Moneypenny’s holster with a few light tugs to garner her attention. The innocence of the gesture is contrasting greatly with the amount of bodies that child alone has left in his wake. The Double 0 can still hear the sound of the man’s jaw breaking under Coeus’ attack. Fair to say the kid isn't one to hold back.

Moneypenny hesitates in answering the question, eyes darting across his young face unsure. Her mouth opens then closes again as she tries to break the news to their charge. When Coeus starts to grow irritated at the silence Bond speaks for her instead.

“They’re moving forward with the arrest of Irving. Alpha team is going in.” 

Bond doesn’t see a reason to sugarcoat any information for the kid. Coeus has been dealing with this shit longer than the two of them and, as far as James can tell, he seems to thrive off knowing what’s going on at all times. The boy has more than proven he can handle himself. 

The other agent stares at him a little put out by his blunt explanation but she nods in agreement and thanks, or he thinks she does. Hard to tell with her. 

“T-That’s not the plan though. We aren’t in position yet. We haven’t reached the building we’re supposed to meet in like planned.” Coeus is biting at the ruined nail on his thumb. It starts to bleed from the abuse.

“Hey now.” Moneypenny tries to gently pull his hand away from his teeth. 

Coeus rips his arm out of her grasp. He retreats and sticks the bloody digit completely in his mouth in revolt. To Bond it just looks like he’s sucking his thumb. He sees Moneypenny grimace out of the corner of his eye. The kid pulls his thumb out and wipes it on his jacket, silently daring either of them to say anything.

‘Well, it’s stopped bleeding.’ 

“Look, it’s nothing to worry about. Just a small change in the plan is all. We’re still taking you to the rendezvous point.” Moneypenny says.

There is disapproval written all over the boy’s face. Coeus wants to argue against the plan, his cheeks puff up in frustration. Bond can see the moment however, he admits defeat, shoulders slump and head down. He picks absently at the bandages on his fingers. 

“They were supposed to wait for me.” He says. “I don’t like it.”

“You don’t have to like it. Orders are orders.” 

There is an exasperated sigh from Moneypenny as Coeus glares at him from under his mop of hair. Bond doesn’t give a shit. If he wants to be treated like a big boy, he’ll need to learn to follow orders he doesn’t want to like a big boy. 

‘Hmm, kettle meet pot.’ 

“Dick.” 

Bond grins at the boy and shrugs, pulling a face. Kid’s not wrong. The expression makes Coeus look down with a poorly concealed smile and Moneypenny shakes her head.

A truce.

“I’m going on ahead.” Kirk voices through their ears. “We’ll meet up there. Good luck!”

The copter overhead disappears around a building and the coms go silent.

Coeus blows at the curls hanging in his face and stretches his arms into the air. Several pops of cartilage can be heard coming from his back. “Welp, back to the ol’ dusty trail I guess.” 

‘He could use some work on that American cowboy accent.’ 

Moneypenny stares at the boy with an apprehensive smile and in all honesty Bond can relate. This kid is way too fucking calm and collected for all the shit that’s happened to them in the last hour alone. The tension in his small shoulders and the death grip he has on his stun rod are the only indicators of stress at all. 

James can’t say he isn’t grateful for that though. 

Escort missions will forever go down in history as the worst jobs you can be assigned to in MI6. At least this one has a ward who can take care of himself and be useful if need be. Even if the brat does have a tendency to run off with a hero complex in place of basic survival instincts. 

Every charge has some irritating quirk to them. 

“Are you ready?” 

Bond makes to answer when he realizes the question wasn’t aimed at him. Moneypenny has stopped herself from patting Coeus’ shoulder. Her hand is hovering awkwardly in midair from the aborted action. Her cheeks darken from embarrassment. Coeus is staring at her hand like it might bite him and Bond has to disguise his snort with a sneeze. 

They both glance at him clearly not impressed. Well, if they can’t see the humor in this that’s their loss.

Eventually the kid throws his arms up dramatically in a shrug. “Is anyone ever ready to face their possible gruesome and painful death at the hands of a bioweapon?”

Both agents are taken back by the response. Bond is surprised at the bark of a laugh that's startled from his throat. Moneypenny’s mouth gapes like a fish but he’s pretty sure he’s doing the same thing. Coeus does smile though, the gap of his missing tooth peeking from his lips.

“Relax, I’m just messing with ya. Mostly.” That last bit is mumbled.

“Yeah, well try to have a bit more faith in us. We’ll get you where you need to be, squirt.” 

Moneypenny slowly moves her hand to his head making sure he can see her. When he doesn’t flinch away she ruffles his hair gently. Coeus makes a face at the action but his shoulders relax a fraction and if anything, he looks to be moving into the kind touch. He pretends to adjust his glasses to hid the action. Bond stops himself from smirking. 

“Well, you’re both not too bad with a gun, and your reaction time is superb. So, I suppose MI6 didn’t just send me someone from their janitorial staff.”

“Oi, watch the tone brat.” James pushes his elbow into the kids’ shoulder and Coeus blows a raspberry in his direction as retaliation.

Bond nods to Moneypenny and they start forward along the dirt path, Coeus remaining in between them. The Double 0 can hear the kid flick the charge on the stun rod on and off again behind him. A low hum being the only indication the thing was active. 

Moneypenny isn’t making any comments on the boy playing with the incredibly dangerous weapon, so he won’t either. The way he used the damn thing earlier, Bond is positive Coeus won’t hit him with it by accident. 

Now he just has to make sure he doesn’t give the kid a reason to hit him with it on purpose. 

Which brings back that particular thought to mind.

“Quite the heat you’re packing with you.” The hum stops and when it doesn’t start back up again the agent chances a glance back. 

The dead eyed stare that makes him want to go for his gun is back. Moneypenny must notice the tension because she takes a small step back from the kid and shoots a glare at the other agent. 

“Bond.”

James quickly puts his hands up in surrender. He doesn’t like the way the kid has gripped the handle of the baton.

“Just making an observation. A stun rod, a flash grenade, and a S & W. Bit of an arsenal there.”

“Hmm.” Coeus doesn’t elaborate, nor does he take an offensive stance, so James assumes he’s in the clear. 

For now.

The dirt road has taken them away from the smoking ruin that was town square and toward another gated area. No guards this time. Bond can’t decide if that’s a good thing or not.

“We’re not far. Just past the next few streets. We’ll hit a courtyard. Our rendezvous will be a large community building there.” Coeus points past the gate. The buildings are tailored to be a tightly packed residential area. No doubt swarming with multiple hostiles, if the scale of the demonstration is to be believed. 

“We’ll need to do our best to stick to the back alleys then.” Moneypenny says. 

Bond is inclined to agree.

Coeus isn’t. 

“That whole area is one big back alley believe me. It’s best if we just run straight through.”

“I don’t know if…”

“We run through and we’ll be announcing our presence. We’re asking to be followed at that point.” Bond counters.

Moneypenny is nervously looking back and forth between the two of them. She moves closer to Coeus but the boy only inches away as she comes. Whatever coddling she wants to provide the kid isn’t having any of it. The other agent relents but keeps close.

‘No doubt trying to find a way to avoid a fight from breaking out. No need, I’m not about to argue with the brat about this.’ 

“We inch forward around every damn corner, 007, and we’ll be easily boxed in. Better to move faster than the threat.” His voice is far too haughty for someone who hasn’t even his puberty yet. “Plus, my deadline has just moved up. If I can’t be there for the arrest then I need to at least be there to identify and confirm the bioweapons on site.”

Bond grit his teeth. ‘Okay, so I am going to argue with the brat about this.’ 

“Deadline or not we need to move carefully.”

“Move fast old man and you’ll be fine.”

Bond can feel what little patience and respect he has for the kid burn like kindling. Coeus holds his head as high as he can staring down, or up at, the Double 0 with defiance. Something in his expression is daring Bond to challenge him. 

Well, 007 has never been known to back down from a challenge.

“Guys.” Moneypenny tires. The two ignore her.

“You’re the one who called for help! We are the ones who were sent to help you. So how about you just follow and keep quiet like a good little boy and leave this to the professionals.” 

“Bond.”

“Good little boy, my ass, if I knew Madam M was going to be sending me a pussy footer I wouldn’t have bothered asking for help! Maybe, Mr. Professional, you should step back and let the Expert on the situation lead and you just attack what I point at like the good guard dog you are.” 

“Coeus.”

“Oh, you little piss stain! This professional pussy footer is the only reason you’re not another blood stain on that huge fucker’s axe! Your expertise didn’t save you from that situation!”

“Jesus Christ, Bond.”

“Really?! Because I seem to recall that I pushed you out of the way when said huge fucker’s axe almost split you into two pieces! I’m not some piss brained child who needs you to hold my hand every time something scawy pops up!” 

The lisp in the boy’s words become more pronounced as he argues. But even Bond can hear the sarcasm when he purposely replaces the r with a w. Like he feels the need to remind the agent of his ‘older’ adolescent age.

“Look I think we all ne…”

Bond places himself in the kid’s space and uses his height to his advantage, looming over him. Coeus doesn’t flinch, doesn’t back down from the Double 0, but there is a faint tremor in his shoulders. His feet position themselves, to flee or fight James isn’t sure. The agent almost feels bad. 

Almost. 

“I will knock your ass out right now and throw you over my shoulder so help me…” 

“CAN WE ALL JUST CALM THE FUCK DOWN!!”

Bond shuts his mouth with a click of his teeth. Coeus subtly flinches back from both of them, but never lets up on the glare he's throwing at Bond. His little face is red, and James is pleased to see annoyance and frustration behind those eyes instead of calm indifference. 

‘Not so fun being on the receiving end of it, is it brat?’

Then his partner had to ruin the view by stepping in between them. Her back is to the boy so she can level her own glare at him instead.

“Enough. Bond act your damn age for God’s sake.” She looks at Coeus. “And you…”

“He started it!” The youngest of them points at the Double 0 with his baton, his voice cracking. “His damn ego won’t let him admit that I’m right on this.”

“My ego has nothing to do with it. Experience does…”

“Experience my ass. I’ve been actively working against Bioweapons since I was seven. I have five years of experience with this shit. You just don’t want to listen to me because I’m so young.”

“That has nothing…” Bond sputters trying to come up with a defense.

“It has everything to do with it, don’t take the piss with me!” Coeus takes a deep breath, holds it, then slowly releases it. James can’t decide if the action adds years to the boy or takes them away. “I know what I’m talking about okay. You want me to trust you. Well that goes both ways.”

“Explain it to us then.” Moneypenny, ever the mediator. “As escorts it is in our best interest that as few people know where our ward is. That’s how we protect them. Why should we do it your way instead.”

Coeus glares at Bond a moment longer before nodding. He addresses Moneypenny.

“The people we are dealing with are…they’ve been infected with a type of bioweapon called Plaga. Sort of a parasite that allows for the control of those infected by a Queen Plaga.”

“You’re telling me there is someone actively controlling these people? I thought they just attack anyone not like them.” Bond couldn’t keep the skepticism out of his voice. This is all sounding like something from a B rated horror movie.

“Yes, and no. When not being given direct orders they automatically search for others to infect and expand their numbers. They retain their intellect, but because of the nature of the Plaga their coordination suffers for it. They attack in bursts of speed they can’t maintain. That makes them work better in groups or hordes to make up for the lack of endurance and overabundance in… twitchiness.” 

‘Is that even a word?’

“Like back in that alley and the square.” Moneypenny shudders.

Coeus nods. “They are far from stupid, able to strategize and work together but there is a delay between orders given and Plaga reception. We can easily outrun them and give them the slip. Try and do it your way, they slowly box us in. Like they tried to do in the square. Plus, I imagine that most living in this area were in the square anyways. Already taken care of.”

This kid continues to surprise him. And as much as Bond hates to admit it, Coeus is giving them very good and logical reasons to go with his plan of fuck all and run. Being as small as he is, the agent assumed slow caution was the boy’s go to strategy. 

‘Adaptability is likely a large key in this kid’s continued survival.’

One question has been nagging at him, however, since Coeus started talking. 

“How do you know so much about their behaviors and how they operate if this is the first time the Plaga has been introduced?” 

“I wouldn't be an expert if I didn't know the most basic of basics now would I?" Coeus places his free hand on his hip, tracing patterns in the dirt with his baton. "I know because I've watched them from afar. Taking my own notes, making observations, studying them. I know because this isn’t the first time they’ve been introduced. It’s not even the second. This is just the biggest outbreak to occur. And the fastest quiet honestly. I'll admit, that caught me off guard.”

Bond’s thoughts screech to a halt. The idea of multiple testing's of this weapon happening without anyone being notified is not a pleasant one. This has happened before, and no one was ever told. People have been getting killed and this kid knew about it.

“And you only now decided to call in for help?”

“That’s not fair Bond. There could be a number of reasons for why…”

“You think I didn't want to before?" The boy tightens his hold on the baton. His cheeks are puffed up again but the glassy appearance on his eyes tell a different story. He breaths deep. "Look, I gave you my reasoning. Everything else is nonessential to the mission at hand. Can we go now? I want a chance to kick Irving’s fucking teeth in.” 

That dead expression is back on his face but there is a barely controlled rage in his eyes. Bond has no doubt in his mind that the kid would personally feed the bastard his own bioweapon if given half the chance. 

It is unnerving to say the least. That a child can harbor such negative thinking behind his young face. James had always thought that was a trait reserved for adults. He supposes that’s not a completely fair assessment. 

Neither was the accusation in his question before. He winces. It’s easy to forget that Coeus was on his own for a majority of this mission. Three years of it. He had no backup, no one to go to for help until he had substantial evidence to present. There must have been a great number of things he’s seen and was unable to do anything about it but watch.

‘Wonder if he was trapped in those demonstrations as well or a spectator on the side.’ The thought makes the Double 0 feel like shit.

Coeus is tapping his deactivated stun rod against his leg impatiently. Bond has the feeling that if they don’t start moving soon he going to finish his mission with or without the agents following. 

“How about a compromise? We check to make sure the coast is clear then we make a run for it with each street we cross. That way we’re quick and careful at the same time.” Moneypenny is addressing Coeus more than him.

Bond can’t find a reason to really argue and Coeus while not completely satisfied must figure that’s as good as he’s going to get. He shrugs indifferently.

“Whatever. Can we go now?”

The agents nod to one another and make their way to the gate. Bond pushes the metal barrier and leads them into a tight back road. 

‘Kid wasn’t kidding about it being a back alley.’

A loud static whines in the earwigs. Bond flinches back into the gate he just opened with a hand to his ear. Moneypenny curses behind him. 

“What’s wrong?” Coeus is looking back and forth between the two on the balls of his feet ready to bolt.

“Nothing. Just caught some static is all.” Bond says.

“Yeah, loud fucking static.” Moneypenny has her earwig in her hand and a finger in her ear working the annoyance out.

Eventually the static clears and new voices are heard through the com. They sound muffled. Wherever they are its not great for the com reception.

“Mathison, Captain DeChant here! Our route is blocked!”

“Kirk! Come in!”

There is no response. Bond can only assume that their pilot is on another channel speaking with his comrades or out of range. Moneypenny replaces her earwig. 

“Who was speaking? What did they say?”

“Someone said something?” The other agent taps on her coms but looks back at him when nothing more is said.

“Wasn’t anything important.”

“Tell me anyways. I want to be kept in the loop.” 

Bond works his jaw realizing Coeus isn’t going to just drop it. Persistent brat.

“DeChant is checking in with Kirk. I don’t think we were meant to get the message.”

“With all that static I’m guessing they may be underground somewhere.”

Coeus doesn’t react further than a nod. He does however take point and starts to lead them through the maze of buildings. Some were homes, others little shops, all were empty.

Bond wants to command the kid to stay behind him, and the kid does when he allows the agents to peek around the corners. As soon as the call that the area is clear is made, however, the little shit is off again. Head low and making himself as small as possible. Sprinting through the streets with a knowledge of the area the two of them don’t have.

The Double 0 knows what Coeus doing. He’s honoring the compromise. To the bare minimum, but he’s honoring it. He is purposefully making the agents match his pace and he won’t tell them the way so they can’t slow down.

It’s infuriating.

As they come up to the next corner they hear it.

Sounds of a struggle reach their ears. 

As Bond peers around a corner he spots a young blond woman in a short black dress fighting against another man on the other side of a chain link fence. The man pulls her out of view just before Coeus can poke his head out from behind Bond to see for himself.

“Someone needs help!”

Bond has to grit his teeth to stop from spitting venom at the kid. Thankfully his partner has taken it upon herself to talk some sense into the brat. 

She speaks calmly, and straight forward in a way he knows Coeus will respond to. Bond is sure if he opens up his mouth another fight is going to happen with the kid doing whatever he wants just to fucking spite him.

“Someone is going to be in trouble no matter what we do. The best way to help them now it to get you where you need to be. With the information you have a lot more people are going to be saved than if we stop to help everyone we come across. We’ll only waste time.”

Bond can see the confliction in the kid’s face. He can sympathize with him on some level. As an agent of MI6 it's always in the back of your mind that you're actions are for the betterment of other people. That despite the violence you are helping someone somewhere. But Moneypenny is right. Every one life they save could be ten they don’t. Coeus must recognize that as well because his face grows cold and he doesn’t bother to meet their eyes as he agrees. 

Bond checks the street again. 

It’s empty. 

Just like the others.

The agent wants to write it off as nothing. Coeus made an excellent point earlier that most of the residents were at the square. Could be they took care of the threat in the area.

Bond wishes he could believe that.

A quick glance at Moneypenny and he knows she feels the same. Her shoulders are set and ready for an attack. She’s keeping as physically close to the boy as she can without causing him too much discomfort. Bond is sure that if he gives the order she’ll take the boy and run for all she’s got.

It’s not ideal but only one of them needs to make it to ensure Coeus gets out safely. If push comes to shove he’ll make sure the two of them get out. 

The agent motions to his small team to follow. Coeus of course takes that as a sign to run ahead again. Bond doesn’t stop him. He confident that the kid won’t go too far and if he finds something unpleasant he’ll retreat back to them. Moneypenny matches the boy’s pace to keep him in her sights and Bond follows from the rear. 

A scream of static causes both the agent to stumble and grab at their ears once more. Moneypenny doesn’t take the earwig out this time, but he knows she wants too. Hell, he’s tempted to chuck the damn thing on a nearby roof. 

Coeus is on the other end of the street when he looks behind him and notices they’re no longer following. 

The com comes back to life. 

“We’ve engaged the enemy!...and what…what the…that thing?!”

“…in trouble. We need backup! Shit!”

“…Help!...can’t see…”

“Captain, what is your status? Can you see the enemy?” Kirk’s voice answers to the calls for help, his voice coming in much clearer than that of the other men. 

No sooner did Kirk finish his sentence did the panicked shouting of the other men respond.

“No, no!” 

“Wait!”

“God damn monster!”

“What the fuck is that thing!”

The last voice dies out with a scream that sounds wet.

Bond and Moneypenny met eyes before they both attempt to call out. Coeus is anxious. James isn’t sure when he materialized next to him, but he has no doubt the kid could hear the screaming from where he stood. 

“Alpha Team? Come in! Alpha Team!” 

“What’s going on?!” 

“DeChant, this is agent Bond. Do you come in? DeChant!”

The coms stay silent.

“Mathison to HQ.” Kirk voices, coming in much clearer than that of DeChant's team. “We’ve lost contact with Alpha Team! They’re under attack by an unidentified hostile! Reinforcements, head toward the deal coordinates immediately!”

Coeus must have thrown any reservations he had before about Bond to the wind. He grabs at the older man’s holster and tugs desperately on the leather. “What’s happening, 007? Talk to me damnit! Moneypenny?”

“Seems your BSAA friends met up with Irving. And something else.” Bond speaks before his counterpart could. 

"What?!"

He winces as Moneypenny’s heel connects to his shin. Judging by her pissed off scowl and the frantic vibrations of the kid’s hands James realizes that probably wasn’t the best way to put it. He can admit that sometimes being too blunt can be a bad thing. Coeus is two seconds from bolting.

‘Yeah, wrong way to put it.’ 

“We need to go. The courtyard is just past this street!” Coeus says, pulling his holster to get them moving.

“We need to be careful about this.” 

Bond is going to buy Moneypenny dinner once this is over.

“She’s right. We aren’t back up. We may have to wait until reinforcements come but we can’t engage with you still in our care. Our main priority is keeping you safe.”

“And my main priority is providing necessary information to the BSAA to keep them alive. Irving could have unleased any number of bioweapons he has in his possession. By the time reinforcements have arrived they could be dead! We’re right here!”

They're at an impasse. Both of their objectives are conflicting with one another. Bond and Moneypenny need to keep Coeus away from the main conflict, and Coeus needs to go where the main conflict is now happening. 

And apparently the boy isn’t finished, oh no.

“And what makes you think this bioweapon won’t seek us out after it’s done with Alpha team? Irving knows I called for help. He wants me out of the picture. We help them, they help us, then back up comes and helps us both. Safety in numbers right?”

‘Damn, he’s got a point.’

While not completely convinced Bond can’t even really argue. Even if he really fucking wants to. Moneypenny isn’t saying anything to counter him either, just presses her lips into a thin line. 

Fuck.

“Alright, we’ll go offer our assistance. But if it’s something we aren’t equipped to handle we retreat and await further orders.”

‘Shit, listen to me, awaiting orders. What’s the world coming to.’

Coeus nods but the Double 0 is pretty sure he’s only doing that to get them moving. “It shouldn’t be a problem. I just need a good look at it. Once I can identify the BOW, I can tell you how to best dispatch it.”

That really shouldn’t be as comforting as it is. 

‘We aren’t going in completely blind. It’s going to have to be enough.’

Bond turns to his partner, somewhat hoping she disagrees so he has something to latch on to. While clearly uneasy about the plan, she just nods. She’s holding her gun so tight her knuckle have paled.

“Moneypenny to Kirk we are headed to the coordinates now to offer our assistance.”

‘Then we’re really doing this.’

Fuck.

Coeus leads them to an alley and up ahead he can see the narrow space widen into a dusty deserted courtyard. Just like the kid said.

“Help!” 

The blond from the alley before burst through a door on the second floor of a building across the yard. She collapses against the balcony railing and zeros in on the three standing just outside the narrow alleyway. The woman reaches out to them in a desperate attempt to get closer.

“Somebody, please help me!”

Bond isn’t even surprised when he feels the smaller body collide with the hand he shot out to the side. In fact, he expected it. Coeus struggles against the obstacle and peeking back, Bond sees Moneypenny had the same idea. She has a tight hold on the strap of his messenger bag. 

‘Probably grabbed the kid the same time I blocked him.’

“Allyson! That’s Miss. Allyson! I have to- she’s in trouble! Let go of me!” 

The same man appears behind the woman, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her back inside. The young lady, Allison if Coeus’ words are to be believed, fights to keep her grip on the railing. A fight she inevitably loses, and she is dragged back inside with one final plea for help.

The kid thrashes with new vigor against his protectors hold, his eyes screwed shut and breathing erratic. He’s clawing at Bond’s arm while simultaneously trying to unwrap his bags’ strap from his shoulder. The rod in his other hand smacks painfully against the back of Bond’s thigh and calf. 

The Double 0 grunts with each strike. The attacks aren’t strong enough to cause any more damage than a very large bruise, but they'er coordinated enough to temporarily disable an opponent. Bond can feel his patience thinning as he struggles not to fall to his knees.

“Coeus!”

“Would you calm the hell down!”

James can only praise the heavens the kid hasn’t thought to activate his stun rod to use against them. Or maybe it’s a conscious decision not to. He’s not sure. Moneypenny has to grab the boys arm to stop the assault.

In a last-ditch effort Coeus makes to bite at Bond’s arm but a rough yank on the satchels’ strap pulls him out of range with a strangled yelp. It reminds him of a kitten being grabbed by the scruff of its neck by its mama. 

“Oh no. None of that.” Moneypenny scolds. She’s as frazzled as Bond is with the sudden violent behavior from their charge. “We are on your side remember?”

Bond nods his thanks to her for saving him from a few small teeth marks he knows for damn sure would have broken skin. Looking down at his arm Bond sees every individual line made by the blunt nails. He’s even bleeding in some areas where the kid managed to dig in. His whole leg is trembling taking his weight so he shifts to favor it as nonchalantly as he can. 

Bond will never admit it out loud, but the damn kid is stronger than his scrawny frame might suggest.

The thrashing has stopped. Coeus is holding his neck where the strap strangled him, shaking uncontrollably. His eyes are squeezed shut, and he’s mutters to himself quietly. James can’t hear exactly what he’s saying but it sounds like quiet reassurances. 

That must be right because Moneypenny immediately releases her hold on the bag and tries to apologize for the rough treatment. She backs away when he shies away from her touch like it burns.

Bond himself doesn’t feel all that sorry for it. The brat was asking for it acting the way he is. 

Well, he feels that way until he can actually hear what being softly chanted.

“It’s not him. We’re okay. It’s not him. We’re okay. We’re okay. He’s-he’s not here. He’s dead. We’re okay. We watched him die. We watched him. It’s not him.” 

And suddenly James isn’t sure if what just happened was a child throwing a tantrum because he couldn’t play hero, a survivor fighting against a traumatizing flashback or some combination of both. The fact that he didn’t know for sure doesn’t sit well in his stomach. 

His thigh aches not unlike his knee before. Twice is a coincidence, Bond prays this doesn’t become a pattern. 

“Shh, it’s fine. I’m sorry. Coeus. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pull so hard. Coeus, open your eyes hon. Can you do that for me? Look at me dear. I’m sorry. Shh shh.” Moneypenny is clearly overwhelmed herself. Not knowing what words to say to make it better and not sure where was safe to place her hands, so they wave around Coeus like an anxious hummingbird. 

“Kid?” James will deny it if anyone comments on the worry he knows makes itself heard in his voice. 

“I’m fine.” Coeus doesn’t look at either of them but tries to walk past them again. “Wasting time.”

Bond intercepts but makes sure he doesn’t touch him. Coeus flinches away from him like he’s been slapped, breathes like he can’t find any air. He needs to calm the kid down.

“Please. Miss. Allyson-”

“Deep breaths. We’re going to go help her now, just stay behind me.”

Both Moneypenny and Coeus swing their heads toward him in surprise. James feels like he should be offended somehow. Moneypenny was right in what she said before, they can’t save everyone they see being hurt. It’ll will only waste time. But they are right here and Coeus knows this particular woman. It would be hypocritical of him to force the kid to walk away. 

And maybe, not that he cared much, but maybe it’ll help the kid put more faith in them. James is tired of seeing that haunted look aimed at him every time he moves wrong. 

He points to the side of the courtyard that is blocked by a chain link fence. A fence that just so happens to be right next to the house the woman is being kept in.

“Unless you plan on scaling the fence, we can use the second story of the house to go around it. Helping her is on the way. We’ll spare the time.”

Moneypenny is smiling at him wanly. 

‘So, she sees through my excuse. Damn.’ 

Coeus, however, is staring at him with a reserved kind of hope. Face blank, waiting for the other shoe to drop, but with eyes that wanted to believe in him.

The look is making the Double 0 uncomfortable. 

“Alright, lets go.” James says awkwardly.

Bond doesn’t wait to see if they are following as he charges, limps, up the outside staircase leading to the second floor of the building. He takes up a guarded position at the door and movement on his right shows Moneypenny covering his back. Coeus is at the bottom of the steps.

The sound of heavy breathing can be heard through the open door and when Bond swings himself inside all he sees is the woman staggering towards him. The agent has to lower his weapon to catch her as she falls into him. 

“Okay, alright. I got you.”

Moneypenny is scanning the room, placing herself in front of him and the other blonde. Coeus sneaks in after her, keeping his head low but bee lines for the civilian. The stun rod is set on the ground as the boy helps to guide his acquaintance to the floor. 

“Allyson? Are you okay? Are you hurt?” Coeus turns to Bond as he starts to rummage through his satchel. “The man from before, he might still be here.”

James nods, leaving the two on the ground to assist his partner clear the area. Moneypenny has walked further into the room scouring an area behind a partially collapsed wall. Bond takes to checking behind the sparse furniture, then the balcony. He keeps an ear on Coeus, hearing him speak quietly to Allyson. She hasn’t said anything, or moved much, Bond assumes that stems from the shock. 

The space was under construction before now. The ceiling is unfinished, barely being held up by thin wood planks, places in the wall’s concrete show the iron bar foundation, and the floor is covered in debris. 

‘This second floor must have been a recent addition.’ 

“Bond.” The agent makes his way over to Moneypenny to answer the call. “There’s another door here, leading to the other side of the fence. The man might have…” 

Whatever Moneypenny was going to say is cut off by a sharp intake of air, followed by an alarmed squeal and the sound of someone gagging. It was coming from where they left the boy. 

“No, No, nO, NO, NO, NO, NO ALLYSON!!”

“COEUS!”

“SHIT!”

The first thing that is drilled into every agent’s head before heading off on their first escort mission is to never leave your ward unguarded. Always assume every person you come into contact with wants them dead. That every time you look away someone is going to take that opportunity and use it. 

He just left his twelve-year-old charge alone with an unknown woman they didn’t check for weapons in the middle of a Bioweapon demonstration. James wants to shoot himself in the foot for his own stupidity. He can practically hear M sneering into his ear. 

‘You are a disgrace to the Double 0 name Bond. I told you to protect that boy with your life! Bastard! He’s already dead!’

Bond and Moneypenny round the corner together, almost tripping over one another in their attempt to reach their charge.

The woman is straddling his thin waist, pinning him to the floor while his legs kick out trying to gain some kind of purchase. She has her hands wrapped tightly around his throat. Coeus is gasping through the blocked and bruising airway. His eyes are squeezed shut refusing to look at her. His hands ignore the ones on his throat, instead gripping her shoulder and forehead trying to keep her face away from his. 

Her face, ‘Christ her face’, is just like the first BOW they ran into. A black flower of thick fleshy tentacles have sprouted from her mouth. They pulse and a ropy collection of saliva covers them, pooling around the boy’s face. Despite his best efforts Coeus is losing strength and the appendages start to enclose around his head.

Bond can hear the panicked sob that rips from the boy’s throat. Tears are streaming down his face and the kicking is slowing to a halt.

‘Shit, shit, shit!’

They can’t risk shooting and hitting the boy. Instead Bond charges at the woman. Using his momentum, the agent throws an uppercut to her jaw. Her head snaps away from Coeus’. Her hands release their hold and she staggers off the child. Bond uses the opening to take a stance over the smaller body.

The woman glares, standing to her full height and tilting her head back to allow the extra appendages to blossom wider.

‘What kind of alien horror movie bullshit is this.’

Something crashes behind him and the Double 0 swings his head to find Moneypenny locked in a fight with the man that attacked Allison before. He pushes her against a wall. Her gun falling from her hand.

Coeus is quiet and still on the floor beneath him. The only indicator that the boy’s still conscious at all is the small shaky hand gripping the bottom of Bond’s pant leg. James can’t spare the time to check on him. 

He hears Moneypenny curse and a body crashes into some of the support beams in the room.

The wom…BOW in front of them takes the distraction as a signal to charge. He takes aim and fires. 

The erratic nature of her movements cause the bullet to miss. Hitting her shoulder and shredding the muscle apart instead of the head like intended. It does nothing more than knock her off balance. She still keeps coming. 

She’s too close to take aim again. 

Bond can’t leave his post.

Not with Coeus gripping his pant leg and unable to move.

Not with Moneypenny still struggling against the new threat behind him.

He takes a hit to the face that leaves him seeing stars. The Double 0 retaliates by delivering a hook shoot to the woman’s chest. She is launched backwards falling into a heap outside the door they came through. 

Bond swings himself around, careful not to dislodge himself from the boy’s grip, and aims at the other threat in the room. He needn’t have bothered.

Moneypenny has the man trapped in a head lock, but by the look of it she’s as trapped as he is. He continues his struggle, despite the arm hanging from its socket, despite the strength that Moneypenny puts into the chokehold. The man should be out for the count with the lack of oxygen he’s getting.

Damned bioweapon bullshit is what it is.

“Moneypenny!” 

His partner unlocks her hold and kicks the man away from her. Bond introduces a hole into the side of his skull and the man goes limp. Moneypenny doesn’t have time to give her thanks before she’s shouting her own warning.

“Bond!” 

Arms wrap around his neck and a knee collides with the back of his own causing him to drop, his already weak leg no longer able to support the two of them. Bond does his best to avoid landing on the child beneath him. He isn’t given much time to think about it before his head is ripped back by the hair.

Drool and slime pour down his face as whatever the fuck was coming out of her mouth moves closer. There’s a ringing in his ears that wasn’t there before. ‘Must be the shock.’ He can see the opening, black as tar, thick, and pulsing. If he survives this Bond isn’t sure he’s going to be able to do another honeypot mission for a while.

And in a blink, the woman is gone with a scream. Bond can feel the air woosh by as something flies inches past his face in a whistle. Another high-pitched war cry emitting from the now standing preteen in front of him. 

Bond throws himself forward the second the woman is off his back. Hands grab at his arms and help him back to his feet. Moneypenny on his left still has her gun up and swaying as she tries to aim. Coeus, on his right, has black splattered across his face but a steady grip on the Double 0 arm. His deactivated stun rod is dripping the same black in his hand.

Bond turns bringing his own weapon up to face down the enemy once more. 

Her jaw and eye socket are broken. The tentacles struggling to hold open the flower like pose, one eye rolling uselessly in its outlet. Black is seeping from the wounds. 

Coming out of her daze she charges again. She doesn’t make it two steps before Bond and Moneypenny fire simultaneously. 

Her skull explodes in a spray of gore. 

And from her neck..

Bond blinks hard to wrap his head around what he’s looking at.

Moneypenny is sputtering beside him in a panic. Gun waving to try and track the movements of the…thing. 

“What the F…!!”

“Cephalo! M-move back! Move back!” Coeus can’t speak louder than a rough whisper but the urgent tugging on their belts is enough to get them backing up.

Her head is gone, but the woman once called Allyson is still stalking toward them. Her movements are far more uncoordinated than before, her feet stepping all over themselves. Torso struggling to remain upright. But that could be due to the large fucking centipede thing emerging from her neck!

Bond’s back hits the far wall. Moneypenny is breathing heavily beside him, gun raised but not sure where to aim. She has her free hand fisted in Coeus’ jacket. The boy is swallowing convulsively past his newly bruised neck. James instinctively places himself in front of the two of them.

‘Maybe if I can distract it long enough, Moneypenny can get Coeus through the back door.’

There is another tug on his belt. A small damaged voice instructing them on what to do. 

“Agents…shoot... at the base. Aim... for the cervical.”

Bond isn’t about to question the expert on the subject. He’s not sure he can think of anything better to do anyways. He does as he’s told. The agent isn’t sure how many rounds his partner puts into the thing, but he counts four in total for himself before the thing bust like a water balloon filled with shrapnel. The headless, and now centipedeless, corpse falls like a sack of rocks.

The smell is putrid.

Moneypenny gags and proceeds to be sick. 

James finds he can’t look away from the body. He’s frozen. Not much in the way of coherent thought other than, ‘fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, what the fuck’.

There is a pat on his shoulder that is sudden enough to have the agent flinch around and aim his gun. The barrel settles between the boy’s eyes. James doesn’t realize how hard he’s breathing until Coeus gently grabs the gun and slowly guides it away from his head. He pats the agent’s hands reassuringly once it’s lowered.

‘Shit I almost...’

“It’s fine agent Bond. Even if you did pull the trigger, your clip is empty.” Coeus cuts off James line of thinking like he knew where it was headed.

His voice is too soft, too rough, too understanding, too fucking calm. There are still tear tracks lining his cheeks, eyes rimed red, black staining his skin, and breathing still off. 

Coeus releases his hold on the agent’s hands and makes his way to his discarded satchel. James grabs the boy’s jacket and jerks him back against his chest before he can get close to the corpse. Bond isn’t about to rick it if that thing decides to get back up for round fucking three. 

The agent startles when he feels soft petting on the arm he’s using to hold the child to his chest. 

“It’s okay. It’s done. She isn’t going to get back up. You both did good. So good. Good job agents. I just need to get my stuff and we can keep going okay?”

Bond snarls at the praise and tightens his hold. Nothing about what just happened was good. They almost got the boy killed through their carelessness. They almost got themselves killed. And all James could hear throughout all of it was the tiny distressed noises coming from a baby having the life strangled out of him.

Fuck whatever the kid thought about himself and the mission. 

Fuck whether or not the kid knew how to handle the situation and the creatures that get worse every time he blinks..

Fuck how long this kid has been fighting and how much experience he has under his belt. 

And fuck how this same kid felt the need to comfort and praise two grown ass adults every time they manage to not fucking die after every encounter with the enemy.

Because Coeus, for all his maturity and big words and haughty attitude, is still a fucking baby. Not old enough to be out of primary education. Barely a decade of his life past him. Still at the age where boys are convinced girls hold a form of cooties or some shit. 

He should be in school making friends and blowing teachers away with how smart he is. Playing those mind-numbing video games, and watching cartoons on the telly, and riding his bike outside, and finishing homework, and doing chores, and eating a warm filling supper with his family, and staying up way past his bedtime reading comic books or quantum physic books under his sheets.

Instead he’s here. 

Covered in scars and blood and dirt and bandages. Carrying weapons under a too large coat to hide his small size and conceal his arsenal. Flinching at every move towards him and staring ahead with haunted eyes and missing two of his fingers because the world is cruel and there was no one to shelter him from it during his developmental stages in life.

Instead he’s here.

Fighting against people who would burn the world for a quick buck. Soldiering through a battlefield, isolated for years to save as many as he can while the world crumbles around him. Giving his life he hasn’t gotten to even live yet for a cause most won’t even acknowledge is real. Being calm and brave where others would have panicked and fled. Fighting a war meant for adults not children.

Instead he’s here.

Comforting two agents even while his own throat must tear at him. Even while the skin around his neck darkens and he is forced to look at the body of what must have been his friend. Petting an agent gently and assuring him of his role in the mission. Insisting that everything is fine, and they can leave as soon as he can retrieve his small amount of possessions. That it’s okay.

Instead he’s here.

And James wants to fucking scream.

Because this. All of this, is just too fucking much. How has this kid been surviving this for so long without breaking? How has this kid been through so much he doesn’t blink at death but expects it and is still so damn soft?

The snarl causes the boy in his arms to jump and the petting stops. He is still against his chest. Small muscles coiled tight. Breathing halted when the agent knows he must be starving for oxygen. 

Waiting.

Slowly, as not to cause anymore distress, James lets the boy go and stands back. Coeus glances at him, looking for something, before quietly walking to his bag.

He passes the warm corpse without looking at it and kneels onto the floor to gather up the first aid kit he got out of his satchel earlier. Unused for its intended purpose.

James checks the clip of his Walther. 

It’s empty.

“How did you…”

“I’ve been counting the ammo in both of your clips since you’ve picked up your weapons at the butcher shop agent.”

“Holy shit.”

James looks behind him to find Moneypenny has sunk to the floor at some point. Her chest is heaving from the stress, but her eyes never leave the boy. Her curse comes out impressed. 

The Double 0 is too. 

Coeus has a weary grin on his face. Staring at Bond knowingly from his place on the floor, the little shit. 

He stands, everything collected, but doesn’t make a move forward. He watches the body, shoulders slumped in defeat even as his rounded face betrays nothing. “I’m sorry, agents. For wasting time. We should have just kept moving.” 

James opens his mouth, to what? Argue? Comfort? He isn’t entirely sure. He doesn’t know what to do. It’s frustrating.

“Hon, it’s…” Moneypenny’s own attempt at comfort is denied by the boy in front of them. 

“No, this was a waste of time. She was dead before we even saw her on that balcony.” Coeus grabs a tarp off the floor. “Alpha team is in need of assistance, we should move. Here,” Coeus digs in his messenger bag and produces two small cases of 19mm ammo. “it’s not much so try to conserve it.”

Bond and Moneypenny take a case each without a single word. The guns are loaded with a click. 

There is a lovey bronze brooch on Allison’s dress that James didn’t notice before. Coeus unclips it and stuffs it in his pocket before covering the body with the tarp. He’s murmuring to the corpse, perhaps saying his last goodbyes like he wanted to do for their contact. 

Bond is at a complete loss on what he should do. What he’s allowed to do. Moneypenny is ushering the boy to her, holding her arms out to offer her reassurance. The Double 0 is surprised when Coeus comes to her without fuss. She hugs him, her cheek resting on his curls. His arms remain at his sides, stiff.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t save your friend, hon.” She says.

It’s not enough. They all know that. No amount of apologizes or words of comfort will ever be enough.

Instead Coeus pats at her head like she is the small child in need of comfort. 

“It’s fine. Dangers like this come with the job.” James wants to punch something; she just tightens her hold. “I’m sorry agent Moneypenny. I want to give you as much time as you need but we need to go now. Alpha team needs our help.”

Coeus extracts himself from her arms and nods to Bond. “Let’s go.”

Bond can only shake his head in return as he takes his usual spot in the lead. Coeus takes Moneypenny’s hand in his own but Bond is sure that’s more for her benefit than his. The other agent doesn’t say anything but really what is there to say. Once again the child has taken it upon himself to provide an anchor in the storm. To give comfort instead of receive it. 

Maybe it’s his own unique way of coping. 

The back stairs do indeed lead to a path that will take them to the community center that holds Alpha Team and whatever is in there with them. It’s quiet between the three of them as they make their way to the building. 

The silence of the surrounding area has Bond on edge. Being stressed out on a mission is nothing new. In fact, many in MI6 believe it’s pretty healthy to have a certain amount of stress on a job. Could be the difference between a good decision or a bad one. 

This is a whole new level of anxiety. One the Double 0 has not been familiar with since he was a child. Peeking around the dark corners at Skyfall during the night, looking for monsters that aren’t there. 

Bond supposes he can give himself a break for the apprehension at every turn of a corner. This time there really are monsters lurking about, and not just of the human variety. Those he can handle just fine. This, this went well beyond what he thought was possible.

They make it to the building. It’s three stories of plain dusty cement. Not much in the way of exterior design. A few barred windows, a stripped car out front, one single red door leading inside. 

There is no sound coming from inside.

Bond isn’t sure if that’s a good thing or not. No sound means no fighting, but that could mean one of two out comes. Alpha Team won or the BOW loose in there with them did.

007 isn’t really ready to find out which it is. 

The rusted hinges on the door creek ominously as Bond opens it. 

The narrow hall that it leads to is dark. The only light is what bits of sun can push through the cracks in the walls and a single naked lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. Scrap metal, sandbags, gas canisters and a little rugged sofa are scattered about the labyrinth of a main room. 

‘Some community center.’

Bond feels his nerves rise just being in the room. He reaches behind him to hold onto the boy’s shoulder. 

“Don’t judge it too harshly. It was undergoing a renovation before funding got cut during the change in government. It never got finished. Some tried to make it a bit homier though.”

Sure enough further in the room was a table with a few chairs and a discarded stack of cards. Pillows lay on the floor and next to them are a few baskets filled with little handicrafts. There are children’s drawings on the walls in chalk. Moneypenny points to a faded cat drawn in green in the corner. 

“Is this one yours.”

Bond recognizes the big ears, long whiskers, and wiggly tail from the reports he read through. Coeus doesn’t say anything. He picks at the bandages on his fingers and nods. 

“It’s cute.”

“Thanks.” 

He’s embarrassed. The Double 0 smiles when he sees the boy’s cheeks color. Pulling at his dark curls and keeps his eyes on the ground to hide his blush. James doesn’t smile long. The picture of happy and carefree children is burning a hole in his back pocket. 

This was the boy’s home. He lived here in this little nowhere town. Playing with the local kids when he wasn’t working. Finding companionship with the people around him. Bond isn’t one to offer genuine sympathy, but he can’t imagine it feels good to watch the place you’ve lived for years and the people you’ve come to know destroyed in some asshole's game.

“His name is Biscuit.” Coeus mutters. 

“Who?”

“The cat.” His little face his bright red now reaching towards his ears. The white scars on his skin stand out more but the bashful expression is almost too much. Bond snorts. 

“Well I think it’s a great name for a cat.” Moneypenny has her nose high looking down at Bond daring him to make fun of the kid. He wasn’t going to. Not really.

“Why Biscuit?”

“Why not Biscuit?” Coeus challenges. When all James does is shrug he sighs. “I like biscuits. They-they make me happy, and cats make me happy. So does green. So, I figured having a green cat named Biscuit would make me three times as happy. And it does. So, don’t make fun of Biscuit. Or else.”

Bond figures that makes sense. Kid needs to find as much happiness as he can in his ‘profession?’. If Biscuit the green cat makes Coeus happy then who is he to judge. Plus, he has little doubt Coeus will live up to that ‘or else’ threat.

Moneypenny has a hand to her mouth to hide her smile. The side eye she’s giving Bond tells him she would really like to know what ‘or else’ would entitle. Well, she can forget him treating her to dinner then.

The moment is gone when an agonizing scream echoes though the center. Bond and Moneypenny both lunge to grab Coeus and keep him from charging forward. To their surprise, the boy didn’t even move at the noise.

There’s a pout on his face when he looks at them, distinctly unimpressed. “I’m not an idiot.” 

Bond slowly lets his grip on the boy’s jacket go, not sure if it’s a ploy. Moneypenny mutters an apology and releases the strap of his satchel. Coeus straightens his sleeves.

“Okay keep close and keep quiet. We don’t know what we’re dealing with yet. I just need a good look at it, and we’ll proceed from there.”

If anyone from MI6 ever finds out 007 took orders from a twelve-year-old on an escort mission to protect said twelve-year-old, he’d be the laughingstock of the agency. As it is, this twelve-year-old could be the only thing that keeps them from coming out of this encounter dead.

“Alright.” The Double 0 nods.

He grabs the back of the thick green jacket. Just because he concedes to the boy leading the way doesn’t mean he’s not going to throw the kid behind him if he needs to. 

Moneypenny takes to covering the opposite wall.

They walk slowly toward a set of stairs leading up. 

There’s something dripping from the ceiling in ropes. A thick, black slime. The texture is the same as the blood that came from the woman before. It smells like decay and something chemical. 

“Don’t touch that. You don’t wanna know where it comes from. Stuff is hard to wash off too.”

Coeus doesn’t stop his ascension as he speaks. The hold Bond has on his jacket pulls the agent forward with the child. Moneypenny is forced to walk behind him to avoid the fluid and they watch their steps so they won’t step in it. 

Sunlight streams into the corridor on the second floor through intricate shaped holes in the walls and broken windows. There is more evidence of an abandoned construction project on this level. Sacks on concrete, tools, the whole lot. 

There is movement just past the next corner. Coeus startles violently when a body slumps to the ground. Bond doesn’t think as he yanks the boy behind him. Moneypenny charges forward ready to face the threat. 007 similarly brings his gun up, trained on the body. He signs for Coeus to keep his distance. 

For once the boy listens.

For several long seconds nobody moves. Bond glances to Moneypenny and nods. When she returns the gesture he inches toward the body. Male, 6.2', military, it’s possible he’s from Alpha Team but it’s hard to tell. He’s covered in the black stuff. Dead.

“It’s clear.”

“He’s dressed like a one-man army. I’m not seeing any bullets or even external injuries on him.” Moneypenny observes.

Bond stands and allows Coeus to come closer. The boy kneels down and carefully turns the body over. The man’s eyes and mouth are open in an eternal scream and stained black with the liquid. Bond shudders. However, this man went, it wasn’t painless. Coeus doesn’t blink, merely uses his baton stick to turn the head side to side. James side eyes the kid as he studies the corpse.

“What’s the verdict Mr. Expert?”

“Well, he’s dead.” Coeus deadpans. He works the man’s dog tags from his neck. “But the cause of death could be any number of things. Choking on an obstruction in the throat, dry drowning in the lungs, spinal injury, internal hemorrhaging, rupture of the spleen or intestines, all can originate from a failed Plaga infection. Hard to tell which it is without further investigation. Forgive me for not wanting to be thorough but yeah. I’m not touching him.”

Bond knows his mouth is hanging open. Knows Moneypenny behind him is stunned in the same silence. He was just hoping to lighten the air not get an in-depth analysis on what could have killed the guy. 

“I wasn’t going to make you touch the corpse kid.”

“Hmm.” Coeus stands, gaze is still set on the carcass. “I think we can rule out a Plaga infection though. This was cause by something bigger than an egg.”

“How can you tell?” Moneypenny glances at him. Her gun is at the ready, but she allows herself a moment to listen.

Bond can admit that he’s curious too.

“His eyes. They’re blue. If a Plaga was involved, his eyes would have been the first indicator. I have a good idea on what we’re dealing with but assuming can get you killed so I’ll wait till I see the thing.” Coeus shuffles his feet. “If it’s what I think it is, well, I know how to kill it at least. We'll need to try and make it to the basement.”

He’s nervous. The kid’s nervous, and it’s making him nervous. And doesn’t that just tell you how fucked up this situation is. He, a top Double 0 agent of MI6, is getting nervous because a child is getting nervous.

“He’s BSAA. I don’t think anyone else is going to be alive, but we should try to look for them.”

James didn’t like this. But they were in this now, no turning back. Coeus leads them around a corner and into an open room with no roof. Hell, half the third story is gone. Another BSAA body hangs from a wooden beam jutting from the rooftop. There is a ladder set along the edge of the third floor. 

Bond has to grab Coeus by the hood to stop him from climbing up. The boy sends a seething glare at the agent. 

“Will you stop yanking me by my jacket. If you rip it I’m going to be mad.”

“Then stop trying to move so far ahead without us. And you don’t need that damn thing anyways it’s 37 degrees out here.”

“Don’t tell me what I can or can’t wear.”

“Boys, for god’s sake.” Moneypenny once again interrupts the start of an argument by stepping between them. Instead of staying there though she uses the opportunity to climb the ladder herself and check. “It’s clear.”

Coeus shoots Bond one last irritated scowl before following her up. James himself huffs and waits till the snot gets to the top before he climbs after. 

There is a thick metal door, the only other separated room on this level. Based on the mission coordinates this was where they were supposed to meet Alpha Team. 

It’s stuck.

Bond turns to Moneypenny. “Ready?”

“Coeus, hon, I need you to stand back. Stay outside until we clear the room, understand?”

Coeus nods and crouches low to one side of the door. Once they are sure the boy is out of sight the agents kick the door. The hinges collapse under the combined effort and the door falls inward with a bang that echoes and throws dust into the air. Bond and Moneypenny rush into the room, gun drawn, back-to-back ready for opposition. 

“What the hell happened in here.” Bond mutters.

There are bodies everywhere, all of them covered in the same slime, bullet holes in the walls, blood splattered along every surface. The scene in front of them is the aftermath of a massacre.

A man sitting slumped along the wall moves, trying and failing to sit himself up. A survivor, though if the amount of blood pouring from the hole in his stomach is anything to go by, not for much longer. Bond crosses the room to kneel next to the dying soldier. 

The Double 0 does his best to sit the man up without causing too much pain. He gasps through red stained teeth, sucking in air in shallow breaths. The patch on his uniform marks him as a captain and a member of the BSAA.

“Captain DeChant?”

DeChant nods. 

Behind him Bond can hear Moneypenny continuing to sweep the room. The soft rustle of the kid’s overstuffed satchel lets him know Coeus has wandered in all well. A small jingle of metal as the kid collects dog tags off the bodies let the agent keep track of him. 

“What happened?”

“Something attacked us…Irving…he got away.” The words are breathless. “It was a set up.”

“A set up?” 

Bond isn’t surprised to find Coeus not even a full foot behind him. Even if he didn’t hear the kid coming. The Double 0 glances back. Coeus isn’t looking to good. His face has lost most of the color to it. The hand not holding the stun rod is twisted around the bottom of his jacket. Bond wasn’t aware those green eyes could get any wider and he isn’t sure if he’s breathing. 

DeChant turns his attention to the boy. “You our…Whistleblower?” Coeus nods. “Fisher wasn’t kidding…when he said you were a little thing. The deal…it was a trap…wanted to draw you out.”

“No, that’s…I double checked everything…the deal was legit.” Coeus looks at all three of them in a rapid motion. “I-I swear…I wouldn’t have made contact if I wasn’t absolutely sure!”

“Shh, we’ll figure this out.” 

While Moneypenny is busy trying to calm the boy down, Bond turns back to DeChant when he feels the man pass him a data file.

“What’s this?”

“Laptop…in the storage area of the building…below…use this to gain access to it. Whatever information that kid has…you need to get it to HQ.” 

DeChant is gone. His message given, what left he could do to salvage the mission complete. Bond presses a hand to his eyes to close them. 

The agent stands. Moneypenny is holding the kid’s shoulder, lips closed in a thin line, she’s concerned. Bond can see why. Coeus hasn’t moved. He’s staring out a small barred window that looks into a narrow hall. His face is completely devoid of anything but resigned acceptance. He will never get used to just how still and quiet the kid can get when he wants to be.

“Coeus.” James grabs his other shoulder. It’s a testament to how far gone in his own head the kid is when he doesn’t flinch at the contact. Shit, he’s not even blinking. “We’re not finished here. Snap out of it.”

Moneypenny is unimpressed with his method of talking to the boy. But at least he’s trying to be patient and what. Helpful? Understanding? Comforting? She can bite him, he’s not good at this shit. 

She huffs. “Hon, I need you to come back to us okay? You’re doing a good job, Coeus, I just need you to be strong for just a little while longer. What happened…it isn’t your fault.” She stops to think. “It just happens, like you said. Sometimes people just die and there's nothing you can do about it. I know, when we get out of here we can go for biscuits.” 

“Yeah?”

Well, the boy responded but Christ if he doesn’t sound completely dead on the inside.

“Yeah, any kind you want. As many as you want. I think you’ve more than earned that.”

“Hmm.” Coeus slightly nods, eyes never leaving the window. He points to it with his baton. “There was someone in that window earlier. Pretty sure it was Irving.”

“What?!” 

"Yeah, I'd recognize that weasel anywhere."

Bond grabs the front of the boy’s shirt. Moneypenny grapples with his wrist trying to make him let go. “Why didn’t you say anything?” 

“Bond!”

“I was thinking. Believe you me 007, there is nothing more I want in this world than to see Irving get his.” The reply is calm, controlled, and now somewhat annoyed. Three emotions Bond has now recognize as a very well-crafted mask. “But there are serious cons to pursuing the man. For one he has a very dangerous bioweapon at his disposal somewhere in the building. And if this was a setup who knows what else he has on him.”

Well shit, he’s got a point.

Bond releases his shirt. Coeus smooths down the material. He refuses to look at either of them.

“Should we pull back? Wait for reinforcements?” Moneypenny is addressing Bond.

“No.” Coeus is back to disagreeing with the more logical course of action then. “The BSAA are still in need of the information I have. The longer we wait this out the worse it’s going to get.”

Bond sighs. “Kirk, do you copy? We’ve reached the coordinates, but Alpha Team is down. Irving got away.”

“Copy agent. Guide the informant to the storage facility. You’ll find what you need to allow the data transfer there.”

“Roger.” 

The coms disconnect. 

Bond, Moneypenny, and Coeus all watch one another. 

“It’s going to come for us. The thing that killed Alpha Team.” Coeus for all his ominous words doesn’t sound scared. Just tired. Resigned. 

“I’m aware. Moneypenny…”

“I know.”

Good. She won’t hesitate then. To much is on the line for any of them to be sentimental. She’ll run with Coeus if he tells her to. And he’ll go down like he was always meant to, fighting. 

The agents give Coeus a moment to pulls one of the dog tags off DeChant. He adds it to the growing collection around his neck. Once the single chain is tucked back under his shirt the boy signals his readiness to leave. 

Bond leads the way out the second door in the room and through the joined hall. An elevator at the end of it. There are only three stories to the community center.

It goes down. 

There’s another body inside. While Bond presses the button down, Coeus goes about his business. Giving the fallen soldier a gentle pat on the shoulder. Moneypenny watches him, but there is nothing much in the way of expression on her face. The Double 0 can’t help but feel like they’re all walking into a deathtrap. 

And they all know it. 

The rusted gate of the elevator opens to a long and dimly lit corridor. There is blood smeared on the floor leaving a trail to follow. The smell of decay is even stronger here. 

“If this isn’t nightmare fuel I don’t know what is.” Moneypenny checks her clip.

“Hmm, reminds me of the hospital.” Coeus mutters under his breath. He shutters and inches closer to 007, grabbing the agent’s belt and not letting go.

Bond subconsciously wraps one arm around the thin shoulders to hold him closer. He grabs the material of the jacket both as a means to offer a reassuring presence and to act as a human shield.

“Keep your eyes open.”

Their pace is agonizingly slow. The only sound is their footsteps echoing off the concrete walls. Bond has never in his life ever been claustrophobic, but he can say he now has a better understanding for it. The confined space feels smaller the longer they walk. 

The relief that washes over them when the door at the end opens up to a larger room is staggering. Unsurprisingly, there are three more bodies. The agents fan out from one another, each checking and double checking the room. Coeus ignores them in favor of the fallen BSAA troops. 

There is a thick steel door at the end. A red light next to it and a keyhole indicate there is no way they are going to be able to break this one down. It’s locked down tight. 

Bond shivers, his grip on the boy tightening when he returns to them. While the room might be bigger than the hall they just came from it’s no less suffocating. There’s no room to breath. The concrete walls are oozing black. No windows, no extra light to assist the pathetic attempt by the industrial light hanging from the ceiling. 

It feels like a tomb. 

“The key is in the incinerator room just down that hall.” Coeus points down another hallway on the left wall by the door. This one graciously wider and better lit than the last.

“Why the hell does this place have an incinerator?”

Coeus shrugs. “Gotta burn your garbage somewhere right. Why not have an incinerator in the community center?”

There is a flaw in the reasoning there, but Bond doesn’t know enough about the culture or the people here to really dispute it. And he doubts Coeus knows for sure himself. 

“Why is the door locked to begin with?” Moneypenny asks.

“This door leads into a different area of the town. This place had a problem with kids wandering in and messing with the incinerator, so they kept it locked. If someone needed to head to the storage facility then you had to sign the key out.” 

“So, it’s a safety precaution.”

“Naw, the property owners just didn’t like finding stray kids sleeping in here to keep warm at night.”

“Hmm.” Bond isn’t sure what to take from that.

“Want me to run and grab it?” Moneypenny gestures to the two of them. Particularly how their both clinging to one another. Coeus to his belt and Bond to his jacket. Not sooner did the words leave her mouth did the boy snake his arm around hers, unable to grab her hand because of the baton. 

“No way. We stay together.” 

“I agree we don’t know if that thing is down here. No one goes out of sight of anyone.”

The female agent nods. “Okay.” She frees her arm from Coeus but before he can voice his displeasure at the action she grabs hold of his wrist. He settles.

Together they walk. The hall takes a sharp right turn and Bond can see another room ahead. Heat is flooding into the hallway smelling strongly of burnt garbage. And when they step into the room he’s surprised at how big the incinerator really is. 

There is a chain link fence in the middle of the room separating it into two halves. Inside the fence is a number of boxes and scrap metal. There are two doors on the back wall of the room. Both leading into the biggest incinerator he’s ever seen. The thing is a whole other room by itself. It’s almost comical. One could easily fit twenty people into the thing and still have enough space to move comfortably.

“What. The. Hell.” Moneypenny took the words right out of his mouth.

“What?” Coeus looks between the two confused. “You two never seen a walk-in incinerator before?”

“What the hell is a walk-in incinerator?”

“Um, exactly what you’re looking at. Are you dehydrated? Need some water?” Bond stops Coeus from digging through his bag, no doubt about to pull out a water bottle.< p/>

“No, that’s not necessary.”

“Why would anyone need this.”

“There is no real garbage collection here, so at the end of each week people in the area come to burn what they can. There are rule to what you can and can’t burn but there usually isn’t anything left but ashes when it’s done. Every sector of the city has one, except for the more well off parts.”

That makes a surprising amount of sense. They must take the ashes and dump them somewhere but even that’s taking up less space than piles of trash.

“Wanna see it work?” 

Coeus has a huge grin on his face. There is still a tightness in his shoulders and his eyes are still glancing about nervously. They haven’t forgotten what’s happening around them but for a moment Bond is staring at a child who wants to show them something he thinks is cool. 

“Alright.” Moneypenny nods alongside the Double 0.

Coeus releases his hold on the two of them making his way towards a control panel just outside the door on the right. A viewing window is above the controls giving them the perfect view of the scorched metal room inside. 

“Nubia always let me work the incinerator when I could make it in that week.”

The boy waits till they're both standing behind him before flipping a switch on the side and pulling the lever located in the center. The whole room bursts to life. Lights above the door flash and a loud warning siren blast through an unseen speaker. Metal slabs slowly descend in the door sealing the incinerator shut. Fire roars in the viewing window with such an intensity Bond could feel the heat through it.

Coeus is bouncing on his feet watching the fire beyond. “It burns at 850 degrees Celsius. Can burn almost anything except metal, it just melts it. Sometimes we have to put dog corpses in there cause there’s no where else to put them and not even bone is left. I wonder if I can make a flamethrower that can reach that heat. But a small one, and lightweight. Hmm, the amount of energy needed will make that impossible though, unless...” 

Bond doesn’t think the kid is even talking to them anymore as he theorizes different ways to make a pocket-sized flamethrower powerful enough to burn away bone. 007 glances wearily at the stun baton Coeus taps against his shoulder as he casually plans his project out. 

“Coeus hon. Why don’t you tell us more about that later.”

Moneypenny is not as freaked out as Bond thought she would be. After all what kind of kid discusses building weapons like it’s a side hobby. Coeus blinks himself back to the present. His cheeks grow red as he nods.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. Your ideas are pretty good. Should bring you back to MI6 and let you have a run of the Q Branch. I imagine you’d give us all sorts of trinkets to play with.” 

Coeus has a shy smile on his face. Moneypenny is definitely handling this better than him, but he can’t say he’d object to the idea of getting to play with a mini flamethrower. 

Bond spots the key they're looking for hanging from a hook near the incinerator controls. He grabs it and they hustle their way back to the exit. Guns at the ready, Coeus doing his best to cling to both of them without getting in the way. There is an anxiety in the air that wasn’t there before. 

They reach the door. Bond is reaching into his pocket to grab the key when Coeus inhales through his teeth. 

“It’s coming.” It’s the only warning they get.

A loud sound, nothing like the Double 0 has ever heard before, makes itself known behind him. Moneypenny flinches back, trapping the boy between the two of them. Her breathing speeds up as either adrenaline or panic enters her bloodstream. 

“What the hell is that?”

Bond simultaneously grabs Coeus, forcing the boy against the wall, and steps in front of Moneypenny making himself the biggest target. The agent freezes when he finally lines his sight against the threat. 

“What the fuck?” 

It’s indescribable in its movements. Crawling? Slithering? Building? It’s on the ceiling. They’re on the ceiling. Is it one single entity or is it several? The thick black tar pours off the thing like it’s soaking wet, pooling on the floor beneath it. 

If Bond had to illustrate it in a way anyone could understand it’s like looking at a swarm of black snakes writhing together into one mass. It continues to grow on the ceiling as more of the snake-like tentacles flock towards its center, until finally the weight is too much and it drops to the floor.

The tendrils fan out on impact with a splat. They wind their way around the bodies on the floor. They invade the corpses, slithering in and out of orifices, and pulling them back into the mass. The creature grows further with the addition of the bodies. Large pustules begin to bubble under the mess.

The sound it’s making rolls the agent’s stomach. It’s wet, slippery, there is a moaning lost somewhere beneath the sound of the tentacles sliding around one another. Never stopping. 

Bond swallows heavily. His mouth dry and his tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth. 

He doesn’t know what to do.

All those years of training to adapt to anything a mission can unexpectantly throw at you and he’s drawing up a blank. Just like before with the woman.  
And just like before he knows who to listen to. 

“Coeus?”

“MOVE!!”

The boy’s voice is still strained from the earlier abuse but the absolute command in the word has both himself and Moneypenny dive out of the way as the thing swings a heavy limb in their direction. The impact is felt over their heads, concrete cracking under its attack.

The agents roll and come to a stand at the opening of the hall leading to the incinerator. Guns back up and ready to fight. Neither of them have fired a single round thus far not even sure where to aim.

“COEUS?!” 

Moneypenny’s hysterical call has a wave of panic fill the Double 0. The kid is gone. Bond scans the room wildly for a head of curly hair and a stupid big jacket. He can’t see past the creature that is slowly crawling their way. They are forced to back up as it advances. Bond isn’t sure if the thing has just zeroed in on them as a threat and is leaving the kid alone or if the kid was caught in the attack and has already been absorbed. Moneypenny hasn’t stopped screaming his name.

“This way! Over here! Hurry!”

If Bond wasn’t so fucking relieved he’d smack the kid. They both turn behind them and find Coeus at the end of the hall digging around the back of his belt. He has no idea how Coeus managed to get over there and right now he doesn’t care. The agents sprint down the corridor. 

Back together again Coeus pulls out another metal canister. “We need to lure it into the incinerator.” He pulls the pin at the top and throws it at the monster that is slowly following them. 

Bond is ready to shield the kid and his own eyes from the flash of the grenade. Instead of a bright and blinding light an explosion of fire erupted and engulfed the creature in the flames. 

Incendiary grenade.

The creature roars, in anger or in pain Bond isn’t sure. He feels a small hand take his and leads him around the sharp turn of the hall. But not before he got a good look at the very human face uncovered from the mass.

‘This thing was fucking human!’ 

They entered the room. Coeus turns to them both and points in the direction of the incinerator controls past the chain-link fence.

“You go that way. I’ll bait it into the incinerator. When I say pull the lever and not a second later.”

“ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY?!” Moneypenny is not shy about her displeasure at the plan. She grabs the boy’s wrist, tightly if the flinch from him is anything to go by. 

Bond similarly grabs his shoulder harshly. “I don’t think so kid. We’ll just use the room to go around it and back to the exit. It doesn’t seem that fast, we can outrun it.”

“And what?” Coeus snarls one single canine bared. “Leave it to wander around to find more victims. It won’t stop and the more bodies it has the bigger it gets. We need to stop it here.”

Fuck

“Then I’ll lure it into the incinerator.” Bond insists. 

Coeus is shacking his head pulling himself from their grip. Bond can hear the thing round the corner. Whatever time the kid bought them is running out.

“There is a high likely chance it’ll target me regardless. I’m the one Irving wants dead. We don’t have time to argue, just trust me.”

The awful squishing sound is getting closer. 

Fuck.

Bond turns to Moneypenny his voice bordering on desperate. “Go to the controls.”

The boy shrugs off his satchel and passes it to her. Moneypenny bends from the added weight. She hesitates for only a second before she’s running to the other side of the room. Bond plants himself in front of Coeus.

“Bond?”

“There is a high chance it’ll come for you. But there is an equally high chance it’ll go for the biggest threat as well. The two of us will be a more enticing target than Moneypenny alone.” He grabs the key from his pocket and thrusts it into the boy’s hand. “If worse comes to worse you get yourself out. With or without us you run, got it?”

Coeus nods. 

They back up further into the room. The creature has made it inside. It ducks under the door before standing to its full height. It’s huge. The face is gone, lost back under the slithering appendages. Even without the presence of eyes Bond can feel the exact moment it locks onto them.

Coeus grabs his belt. Bond can feel a tremble originate from the smaller figure but when he speaks his voice is calm, sure.

“Shot at the yellow things. It should disorient it.”

Bond does. Each shot that meets its mark is met with a shower of infected fluid bursting from the cists. It withers under the attack. 

Step by agonizing step Coeus and Bond finally make it to their side of the incinerator. They walk inside together, the metal clanking with their footsteps. Bond can see Moneypenny through the viewing window. Her petrified eyes never leaving the two of them. Her hand hovering over the lever waiting for the signal.

Coeus hold a hand out to her in a ‘wait’ motion. He keeps it there while staring down the beast as it enters the sweltering room with them. 

“Hold.” Coeus calls.

Bond’s gun clicks empty. And the thing raises once again to its full height.

“Hold.”

It leaves the doorway, slowly taking over the far wall.

“Hold.”

Bond is about ready to throw the boy over his shoulder and bolt. It crosses further towards them, making it to the center of the room.

“NOW!”

Coeus throws his arm down signaling for Moneypenny to activate the machine. Bond makes to run to the other door, grabbing the boy’s wrist. Coeus doesn’t budge.

“What are you..”

“We have to wait. If we run out with too much space left in the door it could still follow us out. You go.”

Yeah, fuck that.

Bond stations himself to follow the boy’s pace as he slowly backs them out of the deathtrap their standing in. The agent can’t help but watch as the sliding door comes closer and closer to locking them inside. He isn’t sure which would kill them first, the creature or the flames. 

“Bond?”

“Shut up. I’m not moving till you do.”

The creature stalks forward. Bond now recognizes the pace as mocking. It thinks it has them beat. It’s playing with them. It punches through the air, arm elongating to reach them.

Bond ducks down, Coeus rolls out of the way. Metal dents when the thing makes contact with the wall behind them. The appendage retracts, it leaves behind remnants of itself wiggling on the floor. 

With just over two feet left before metal meets metal Coeus shouts for him to move. The thing lunges for them as they dive for the exit. The boy’s tiny frame makes it easy for him to avoid the door. Moneypenny is there in seconds grabbing his small wrist and pulling him away.

Bond’s own bulkier body smacks painfully against the top of the door. He has to belly craw the remainder of the way out. Moneypenny and Coeus both meet him. Each grabbing a hand and pulling. 

Something snakes around his ankle and yanks him back halfway through the closing door. The three of them yelp as his hands are forced from theirs. Bond looks at the thing holding him. 

Despite its massive size the creature had managed to kneel down and snatch him before the door got to low. It must have some idea of what’s happening and it’s going to take the agent with it. If not in the flames then by separation via a metal door.

“SHIT!”

His hands are grabbed again, this time by Moneypenny alone. She struggles to find her footing and pulls him with everything she has. The door is closing on the creature’s arm and the agent’s leg with it.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!” 007 is panicking. 007 never panics. But he’s going to lose his leg. He is in the prime of his life, his career, and he’s going to lose his leg to a bag of slithering dicks. 

If he doesn’t bleed out from the wound. If he lives long enough for help to arrive or till his ragtag little team can drag him to safety, he’ll be crippled. No leg, no title, no job, no purpose.

There’s no time to process anything else other than the fact that his life, whether he lives or not, is over. The Double 0 doesn’t feel the small hand grab his belt or hear a high-pitched cry before he’s pulled forward so quickly he collides face first into Moneypenny’s stomach. 

The two agents land in a heap on the floor. They groan in unison. Moneypenny has her hands gripping tightly to the back of his shirt, shaking as she regains her breathing.

Bond waits a second, two, three, for the pain that should come with having your leg severed. 

It never comes. 

‘Maybe it’s the shock.’

The deafening roar of the incinerator blasts behind him. Another cry can be heard, muffled by the sealed door and the flames but only for a moment before dying out.

Bond pushes himself up on trembling limbs, rolling off of his companion and onto his buttocks. Moneypenny sits up beside him, hand reaching down to take his in a painful grip.

Coeus remains in front the incinerator door watching the view window as the thing inside turns to ash. His stun rod is still activated. On the floor next to the boy is the remnants of the arm that clung to him, amputated by the exit and still sparking with electricity. 

The pint-sized brat stands in front of the two of them, weapon in, hand like a damned guardian angle ready for the next attack. 

The three of them tense when the room falls silent and the doors slide back up again. Coeus positions his feet further apart, stun rod raised and ready. They all wait with bated breath. When nothing emerges, Coeus takes a small step forward and peeks inside.

Bond goes to stand, goes to grab his charge by the jacket and pull him back to him, to safety. But his legs wouldn’t cooperate. He only succeeded in getting on his knees. The very close call of losing everything, cost all the strength he had. 

“James?” The agent in question numbly turns his head to look at Moneypenny. “You’re okay. We did it. It’s gone.” Her voice is shaking, as well as the hand on his shoulder. She reaches another hand up, beaconing the last of their trio into her arms. 

Coeus watches them for a moment. His eyes roaming their bodies, looking for something. What for, Bond isn’t sure. He’s tense, stun rod shaking in his grip. After being satisfied with what he sees, the boy kneels down allowing for Moneypenny to pull him to her chest. 

Her other arm wrapping around Bond’s neck and he too is dragged into her embrace. There is a small hand resting on his knee and the other, having dropped his baton, patting her shoulder. Moneypenny is muttering reassurances. To herself? To him? To Coeus? All of them? 

He’s tired.

Despite the heat in the room, added with the heat of their combined bodies, Bond finds himself relaxing. They sit like that for a while. Each basking in the relieving reality that they survived, that each of them are whole and still here.

“That thing killed Alpha Team. We need to report to HQ.” Coeus is the first to pull away. His movements stiff and controlled. “And I need to send off the data I can.”

Moneypenny and Bond untangle themselves from one another and nod. She stands and retrieves her gun from the floor. Bond goes to follow. 

He can’t.

His legs refuse to support him. They shake boneless and weak. 

Frustration is building in his chest. This is hardly the first near death experience he’s ever had. It won’t be the last either. So why can’t he stand up.

Before that frustration in himself can reach a peak, Coeus puts the agent’s hand on his thin shoulder. Moneypenny kneels to his other side and does the same. Wordlessly they stand together, waiting for Bond to get his limbs under control. And together they make their way out of the room.

It takes ages for them to make it back to the locked door. Coeus takes out the key and opens it. Pushing the door back before retaking his place under Bond’s arm. They travel down another corridor and to another elevator at the end. 

They go up. 

By the time the elevator reaches the storage room, the Double 0 has regained the strength in his legs. Coeus doesn’t let go of his arm and Bond doesn’t push him away. Moneypenny moves ahead to scout the area. The two follow behind her their own weapons at the ready.

The room is large. Shipping crates are stacked along the walls. Boxes and barrels holding goods are sorted into piles. There are two military jeeps that are parked side by side. All metal frames and gun turrets in back.

Coeus leads Bond to the first of the vehicles and opens the front door. He pushes the agent to sit in the drivers seat.

“Kid I’m fine.”

“Shut up and sit. The room is secure, and you can’t do anything here anyways.” The boy turns away and grabs Moneypenny’s hand leading her to the opposite car. “You too. Sit.” 

She obeys. Opening the passenger door and sitting down with a sigh. The agents sit silently across one another watching as Coeus digs in the back seat of Bond’s jeep. He drags out a thick military grade laptop and sets it on the floor between them. The boy sits with his legs crossed, his jacket fanning out around him.

All is quiet while the boy sticks in the data file allowing him free access to the software. He then proceeds to retrieve another laptop from his satchel. It’s old, but well taken care of. Stickers litter the cover, faded and some ripped. He connects the two with a sorry looking wire and types with the speed of someone who knows exactly what their doing. 

Bond takes the moment of peace to catch his breath. They all made it. A little worse for wear but at least they’re in one piece. The agent rubs at his leg absently. The movement catches Coeus and Moneypenny’s eye. The boy stops his typing to watch the Double 0 carefully. Moneypenny starts to stand to come over.

Bond raises his hands and shakes his head, too fatigued to really say anything. It pacifies the other two, each going back to their own thoughts. No doubt just as exhausted as he is.

“What was that thing?” Moneypenny is the first to break the silence. 

“Hmm?” Coues doesn’t look up from his work. “You mean the thing that killed Alpha Team? Uroboros.” 

The name sends chills down his spine. Coeus stops typing and leans back.

“We’re lucky Irving is a man of self preservation, or we’d be dead.”

“What do you mean?”

“The incinerator. The only way to kill the thing is with fire. Irving must have chosen this building specifically for the incinerator in case he lost control. Probably didn't think I'd know how to kill it. Lured us right to it. Smart bastard.”

Moneypenny sighs and rests her head on her knees. “Shit.”

“You’ve seen these things in action before.” It’s not a question. The only reason they're alive is because Coeus knew what to do. But it still bothers him that they need to rely so heavily on the boy to survive.

“Never outside of a controlled testing area.” Coeus takes off his glasses and rubs hard and the indents they left on his nose. “I know they’ve been developing this brand of parasite for the past six months. Maybe longer. But I didn’t realize just how far they’ve gotten in development. This…this is bad.”

Understatement of the year. 

Coeus lays on his back. Glasses resting on his chest. His hips are angled upward, not doubt trying not to lay on what ever else he’s carrying on his belt. He scrubs at his face, eyes red.

“Shit. I wasted so much time. I should have gotten here sooner. Should have been more careful.” His little hands settle over his eyes blocking out the sunlight streaming through the windows.

Bond…Bond doesn’t feel good. Watching this little boy laminate over things that went way beyond his control. There was no way he could have predicted this would happen. The agent has his own fair share of guilt he clings to, knowing full well there was nothing he could be about it. He thinks about the empty grave back home. 

Life sucks like that.

“Hon.” Moneypenny sits down on the floor next to Coeus. She doesn’t touch him despite how much Bond can tell she wants to. Probably a good call.

“Naw, it’s fine. Just need a minute. The information is downloading now. I’ll be ready as soon as it’s done.”

Silence settles between them once again. 

The laptop gives off a chirp and Coeus sits back up and unplugs his own. 

“Done. We should update the BSAA.”

Bond nods and connects his earwig. “Bond to the BSAA, do you copy?”

A voice responds, not one he recognizes. “This is HQ. Excellent work out there. We’ll analyze the data from the informant immediately.” 

“This whole town’s gone to hell. It may be beyond us alone to get the informant out.” The Double 0 always thought it would be a cold day in hell when he willingly asks for help, especially from another agency, but after what just happened he can admit it. They need help.

Moneypenny must share the same thought. “Our promised method of transportation has been taken out too. Requesting an evacuation update for our informant.”

“We’ve had to move the evacuation site further away from the city limits.” There’s a voice 007 recognizes. R continues. “You’ll meet with MI6 near the mines past the train station.” 

Moneypenny swings her head to meet his eyes. “You’re evacuating us near the mines?”

Coues flinches. “But that’s on the far side of city.” 

“Wait, there’s only two of us. You want us to go in alone?!” 

This wasn’t the plan. Someone should have been here to provide back up for them. The three of them barely made it to the rendezvous point, now they’re expected to trek across the rest of a city filled with hostiles. 

Except there was someone here. A whole team of specially trained soldiers. And they were just taken out in seconds by a thing that will haunt his nightmares for years to come. 

Fuck.

“Delta Team have been dispatched and are on their way to offer assistance.” The faceless BSAA member stated. 

“But wait…We can’t!”

“It’s too dangerous for an evacuation so close to the city. You’ll have to continue on. Meet up with this Delta Team and make your way to the mines. We’ll meet you there.” R interrupts Moneypenny, cutting through her concerns. “Proceed to the station and through the mines.”

The coms cut leaving both agents adrift in a storm with no anchor.

“This is insane!” Moneypenny paces.

“Hmm, you ever get the feeling your expendable?” Bond means it as a joke. She glares at him.

“All too often, 007.” Coeus responds.

The boy looks up at him with a weary smile. And as sad as it is, looking at the little white scars on his face, James believes him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slowly the little family is coming together, and all it takes is a few near death experiences.


	3. 2-1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Bond, Moneypenny, and Coeus continue they're journey to met with Delta Team and get to the mines; the agents begin to gain new and unsettling insight to the past hardships their charge has gone through. As far as escort missions go, this has got to be the worst he's done on a mission in years.
> 
> If he survives this, M is going to kill him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings:
> 
> Graphic depictions of   
> Violence and gore  
> Injuries and sickness  
> Past traumas  
> Panic attacks  
> Animal Death  
> Discussions of infections and illness and viruses  
> Character Death (Not our main Trio)
> 
> Enjoy my labor of love. :3

Chapter 2-1 

Coeus tells them to stay seated while he rummages through the back of the jeeps. Bond is too tired to start an argument with the kid, so he rests his head on the driver headrest. 

From the floor Moneypenny watches him like a hawk. The Double 0 can feel her stare burning into the side of his head. He sighs. 

“Got something to say agent?”

“Several things, actually. Starting with are you okay?”

Bond opens his eyes. He can see wild curls peek around the back of the jeep out of the corner of his vision. He sighs again and rubs his at his abused leg in thought.

“Yeah. I’m okay.”

“Bullshit.”

Her voice is steel, face stern. Not buying into his lies, and for a moment he really does think about how he is. His results are not… disastrous, but certainly not promising either.

“I’m okay enough to finish the mission if that’s what you’re asking agent Moneypenny.”

“It’s not.” Her voice softens and brows furrow together in genuine concern. The change startles the Double 0. “After what just happened, it’s okay you know. To not be okay. Same goes for you Mister.”

Bond smiles when he sees that brown mop slink back into the trunk of the jeep with an embarrassed grumble that he’s fine. Moneypenny shakes her head exasperated.

“I won’t push anymore, but we need to open our communication and operate as a solid team here. Bond you almost lost you’re damn leg back there.” 007 tries not to flinch at the reminder. “And Coeus that woman, your friend, had her hands around your neck. I know you’re not fine.”

The movements behind him stops. Bond is trying to picture what kind of expression must be on the boy’s face. The blank dead eyed stare is the only one that comes to mind.

“I’m… not fine.”

Both agents swing their heads toward his direction. The confession is small and rough. James would go as far as to say it’s weak. 

Moneypenny is already on her feet by the time he gets to his. He’s not sure what he can do, how he can help. But damn it all, he’s not just going to sit here. They reach the back of the jeep and find the small figure half leaning into a large supply cache.

Coeus gives them a side eye when he sees them behind him. He puffs his cheeks. “I’m not fine, but that’s the point.” He continues to rummage. Pulling cases of ammo out and dividing them up into two separate piles. 

“If I was fine with everything that’s happening then that means I’ve grown numb to it. I’ve lost a bit of my ability to help, my want to act and my need to fix it. I’m not fine... but that just means I still care. About the people... about the situation. That this is more than just a mission. This is personal. It’s like you said, it’s okay to not be okay, right?”

“Yeah.” The reply from Moneypenny is stilted. Uncertain. 

Bond doesn’t respond at all. 

He can’t respond. 

This kid, this less than five foot nothing child, has just thrown everything that’s wrong with him as an agent in his face. Because as much as he knows the importance of a mission and what’s at stake. 

He’s lost his ability to care. 

Succeeding has become more for his ego than the people who would benefit from it. He finds it a point of pride that he lets nothing bother him, nothing breaks him, nothing gets past his walls.

He wasn’t always like this. 

Once upon a time he had that same ability to care. To want to help for the sake of helping. Bring peace and stop chaos. 

Protect.

Then he came home without a partner, without a body to bury. The funeral was average, what any fallen soldier would be given, and he found he was no longer able to put much heart into his missions.

Bond glances at Moneypenny. She’s still young herself, not by much, but enough that she still has that spark. The continued concern she shows for the both of them, for their health, their safety despite their attitudes and starting hostility towards one another. She still has that belief that what they do matters. 

Not to say it doesn’t, but after a while the missions run together. People live, people die, and you’re at the center of it until a stray bullet catches you and another agent replaces the one lost. Just another cog in a machine.

Coeus crawls out of the jeep, wrapping his little arms around one half of his bounty and brings it to Moneypenny’s feet. She gently ruffles the boy’s hair, and he doesn’t shy away, much. Bond can’t hear what they’re saying, too lost in his thoughts to do more than watch their interaction.

It takes the agent another moment to realize just how long it’s been since he actually gave a genuine shit about another person. That despite his best efforts not to, he does give a shit about the small team in front of him. He wants this young, green, opinionated, and skilled woman to grow into a better agent than he did. He wants this stubborn, headstrong, smart, brave boy to not just survive but live. 

This is no longer just a mission.

Just a few hours in and… 

He cares.

And it scares the ever-living piss out of him.

“…Bond?”

The Double 0 blinks. Coeus is standing in front of him, arms full of ammo boxes. There is an expectant look on his face. Shit. The kid asked him something and he wasn’t paying attention. A quick look at Moneypenny shows her regarding him carefully, pausing in her restocking. 

He swallows. “Sorry, say that again.”

The boy pouts. “I SAID it’s a good thing the BSAA always packs extra supplies, huh?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“You sure you’re as okay as you say you are?” Moneypenny is a damn shark in the water. She smells blood and she circles.

“If it makes you feel better, I’ll let you escort me to medical when we get back.” He shrugs with a knowing grin.

“Oh, I know all about the horror stories of you and medical, Bond. You can be damn sure I’ll be escorting you.” She smiles with her teeth, and it feels good. This comradery.

Coeus snorts. “Get a room.”

“Don’t think I’m not going to drag your tiny ass into medical too, Co.”

The boy swings his head to look at the woman in horror. “Oh no. No way you’re getting any doctor or their freaky equipment within twenty feet of me. Na aw, not going to happen. Nope.” 

The agents laugh. 

Coeus shoves the ammo at the Double 0 and makes a tactical retreat to the jeep. As Bond sorts through the pile, he finds several cases of shotgun shells mingled in. 

“Kid, I know you need those glasses, but they could probably use a good cleaning. I don’t have a shotgun.”

Coeus had climbed back into the jeep at this point; he turns to look back at Bond with a cheeky smile. Mischievous is word Bond would coin. 

“Oh?”

Never looking away from the agent Coeus lifts an Ithaca M37 Shotgun from the cache. 

“Holy shit.”

The boy sits down, leg swinging from the back of the vehicle and he aims the gun off to the right. “Not usually a standard issue for the BSAA. Someone must have snuck it in. Lucky for us. This’ll definitely do in a pinch. Shame we can’t make a stop at my old workshop. Could add some additional firepower to this bad boy. Maybe upgrade the capacity and do something about the recoil.” 

“Modding weapons a hobby of yours is it?” Bond can’t say he isn’t intrigued. The way the kid handles every weapon he holds speaks of experience. Or at least a great understanding of them. 

“Sure. Got to stay three steps ahead of the enemy right? Where do you think I got Blue?”

“Blue?”

Coeus places the shotgun on his lap and grabs the stun rod sitting next to him. He activates the rod. Sparks of heated blue electricity dance along the metal. He gestures at the light.

“Blue.”

Now that Bond has a chance to actually look at the damn thing when it isn’t swinging he can see just how modified it is. 

Bulky but not over cumbersome, not the slick design he’s seen before. More liken to a small baseball bat than a baton that is the standard, but still collapsible. Something in the middle, some form of battery that shot out the electricity, was set in place by two heavy disks that sat on the top and the hilt of the thing. The handle was made with what looked like stripped pieces of tire rubber.

“You made this?” Moneypenny leans in to stare in awe.

“Yup.” Coeus puffs his chest in pride at his, admittedly, intimidating creation. “She has a seventy-eight-hour charge of thirty thousand volts when armed. Any higher completely violates the laws of physics but I’m working out the solution for that one. You would not believe the electrical burns I’ve had to treat while making her.”

“Electrical burns?” Bond can see the tension form in Moneypenny’s shoulders at the implications of what that could mean.

They both inhale sharply.

The boy set (it?) (her?) Blue, down and rolled up his giant sleeves showcasing poorly healed third maybe fourth-degree burns wrapped around the length of his thin forearms. Bond knows burns like that. How this kid even still has his arms at all based on the deformities is a feat in of itself.

There has to be nerve damage. It would explain why he was prepared to take that hit from the axe creature with his arms before. But despite what should cause problems in mobility and strength, and issues with joints, Coeus acts as though the injury causes no trouble for him other than another scar to hide.

Or he’s a great actor.

Bond isn’t sure which idea he likes the least.

Moneypenny has inched closer to the boy, moving carefully as not to cause him distress. Coeus watches her in bemusement, holding out his arms to her when she gestures to them. She holds him carefully, turning the limbs back and forth to get the full picture of the injury.

“Jesus Christ.”

“Yeah, it suuuucked.” The boy moans dramatically. “I could barely move for like a week. Cleaning and bandaging them was the worst. Got really sick too. I don’t think I’ve ever been so thirsty in my life. Went through, like, a month of my water supply in just that weekend. Or I think it was that weekend, hard to say. Anyway, lesson learned. When working with high voltage electricity, wear full protective gear cause just gloves don’t cut it. Totally worth it for Blue though.” Coeus pulls his arms from Moneypenny and pulls his sleeves down.

Well that explained why the burns didn’t reach his hands. 

“Who treated you?” Bond knows he’s going to regret asking.

“Hm? I did. I just said that. Losing you’re hearing in your old age agent? Shall I make some high-powered hearing aids for you? How bout a cane gun to get around with?” Coeus giggles at his own joke, completely oblivious to the horror that makes it onto the agents faces. 

“Actually, that sounds wicked. I wonder what type of rounds I could use. I bet I could make the hearing aids listen through walls too.”

The scaring has to be over two or three years old. The mental image of an even smaller Coeus sobbing alone and unable to move for days while his arms charred black almost makes the agent sick. He knows Moneypenny is imagining the same damn scene from the parlor of her skin.

“Okay, so Bond you get the shotgun since I take you to be more of a long-range shoot. Am I right agent Moneypenny?” Coeus holds the shotgun as he jumps from the jeep. He hands the weapon to Bond but addresses her. “I’ll keep a look out for another weapon for you, kay? Something as cool and badass as you are.”

Coeus is smiling. It’s not guarded, it’s not hesitant. Nothing to suggest that he’s caught in the memory of burning flesh and indescribable pain. He’s completely dropped the subject. So, as much as he wants to press, Bond does as well.

Moneypenny swallows hard and smiles. “I’ll hold you to that. Alright, I think we’re ready then. Let’s get to the station and get you out.”

“Shame too. I would have like to have gotten one good hit on Irving.” Coeus grumbles as he grabs his stun rod and shoves the rest of the ammo boxes into his satchel. “’Spose I’ll just have to let the BSAA handle things from here.”

The satchel slides off the back of the Jeep and bouncing heavily off the boy’s leg. Bond is amazed the thing is still holding itself together with the extra added weight. 

“Let’s go.”

***

“What. The. Hell.”

“What?”

“Since when were we so close to a giant body of water?”

“Oh, that’s just the port, it feeds into the marshlands to the south.”

“I’ve never been to this side of the city. My mission before took place primarily in the central. So, this is new territory for me.”

“Don’t worry I can guide us through. There’s a small trading port about a mile or so from here”

“Okay, but I checked the map. This shouldn’t be here.”

“Maybe you’re map’s wrong.” 

No, Bond is pretty fucking sure his map is not wrong. This port shouldn’t be here. They just exited the storage house they were resting in. There is no way a large body of water should be sitting right here. They couldn’t have been walking in that tunnel for that long. 

Right?

Bond stares at a partially sunken ship as he stands on the edge of a cargo hold. Shipping crates are stacked on top of one another and arranged in such a way that builds a labyrinth. 

This is an ambush just waiting to happen. A small tug has him turning to the boy pulling his belt. His missing tooth showing in a mischievous smile.

“007, I hate to interrupt a moment of melancholy for you as you must surely relate to such an old rundown warship, but we do have places to be.” 

Bond bristles. He is not that damn old. “Watch the tone ya pint sized brat.” 

“Make me, old man.”

“You stinkin…” 

“Boys.” Moneypenny sighs.

“He started it!” “He can’t take a joke!” They say together, each pointing an accusing finger at the other.

“I don’t care who started it. I’ll finish it!” 

Coeus snaps his mouth shut with a click at her tone. James stiffens under her glare; holding no doubt she’ll keep to that promise. She reminds him scarily of M when she’s annoyed. Not a woman to be trifled with to be sure. 

Bond clears his throat and takes lead towards the only path they have through the shipping crates. The sound of the kid’s bag bouncing with each step and Moneypenny’s heeled boots trail behind him. 

The Double 0 keeps his eyes along the top of the large crates. Everywhere he looks he can see a perfect sniper position. With no cover and not much room to move or maneuver they will be sitting ducks should these ‘infected’ get wise enough to climb on top. It’s an escort team’s greatest nightmare. 

Bond grits his teeth as typical mission paranoia and adrenaline make his muscles loose and ready. 

“Whoa! Whoa!”

A sharp tug on his belt and shoulder holster has the keyed up Double 0 swinging around and grabbing the hand holding him. He stops at the last second before he instinctually shoves the body against the nearest shipping crate and breaks the arm. 

He’s glad he does. 

Coeus stares back at him calmly, other hand up posed in surrender. Despite his cool demeaner the agent can feel the boy tremble in his grasp. His heartbeat rapid in his thin wrist. He lets go; an apology stuck in the back of his throat.

“Bond!”

“That was my fault Agent Moneypenny. I should know better than to grab at someone like that during a high stakes mission.” Coeus rasps.

He doesn’t rub at his wrist like Bond knows he wants to, possibly to avoid looking weak, or making the agent feel more guilty. “I’m sorry. I should have found another way to get your attention 007, but I was worried I might have been too slow otherwise.” 

The older agent swallows. He knows that his outward appearance is quite similar to Coeus. Calm, collected, but inside he can feel his heart in his throat. When he speaks his voice is steady.

“Been too slow to what?”

Coeus uses his chin to gesture behind Bond, eyes focused on the ground. The agent turns back the way he was walking before. His eyes widen when he sees it. There, resting low to the ground is a thin line, barely visible, snaking around the other end of the shipping crate.

A Tripwire. 

“Holy shit. Good catch Co.” Moneypenny shields the boy with her body as she bends down to get a better look. Said boy puffs his chest in pride.

Good catch indeed. Bond was millimeters away from stepping on it. He was so focused on intercepting a high ground attack he didn’t bother to watch his footing. A white-hot rage has him gripping his gun even harder. 

Such a small mistake could have easily left him dead and the two behind him seriously injured. At this rate his carelessness is going to get them all killed. He’s better than this. He knows he is.

A small finger pokes his inner elbow, effectively drawing the agent out of his inner thoughts. Coeus is glaring at him in disapproval. 

‘Okay, that’s fair.’

“Stop that.”

‘What?’ “What?”

“I can see you thinking too hard. Not sure if your brain cells can handle that much stress. Keep it up and you’re gonna blow a blood vessel in your eye.” The boy smiles, a little strained, at the agent.

Moneypenny snorts.

Bond blinks. Not really sure how to respond to the passive insult that was just thrown at him. Is he…is he trying to comfort him? Again? Moneypenny is watching the exchange while also keeping an eye on the wire.

“You had the right idea. This is a perfect spot for ambush attacks. So that’s a good place to focus on.” Coeus nods, encouraging Bond to do the same. “You just keep watching the ledges, Moneypenny can watch our twelve and six o’clock. And I can make sure we don’t step on any traps.”

Moneypenny glances Bond. “That… isn’t a bad strategy.”

They make it sound so simple. Which, Bond supposes, it is. It’s been so long since he’s been on a mission that didn’t rely on just him, it’s easy to forget he doesn’t have to carry the whole objective alone. 

There are three of them. Three members of a team that each bring something to the table. And Coeus has assigned each of them a job without making Bond feel like he failed to do his. How sad is that. But Moneypenny is right, the strategy is… not perfect but it covers all their bases. 

“Alright” He says at last.

“Okay.” Coeus nods his head proudly.

Moneypenny nods as well. “We’ll have to change up our stations then.”

“Yeah.” While he doesn’t like the idea of their ward leading, he can’t argue that they’ll be able to get out of this faster if he can see what’s in front of them. 

Coeus jumps over the wire in what could only be described as a bunny hop, before turning around and studying the trap fixed to the wall.

“Looks like a standard C4 explosive. Nothing too sophisticated.” Bond has to stop himself from smiling at the lisp that found its way into that last word.

“Then you know what to look for.” The other agent places her hand on his shoulder. “You got this?”

Coeus nods again enthusiastically. “Okay. Then we’ll leave it to you.”

Bond has no doubt Moneypenny will also be looking for any further tripwires, just to be safe. But the full body salute to her shows the Double 0 that the boy will take this seriously as well.

They pick their way along the maze. Taking corners slowly, and hyperaware of every noise they make. Coeus makes good on his navigation skills, stopping and steering them around the various line traps that littered their path. 

“Got another one here. Six inches off the ground. Watch your step.” Coeus hops over the wire.

No sooner did he land did everything go to hell. 

Bond’s head snaps to the boy when he hears a strangled gasp. A man, infected judging from the eyes, grabs his jacket hood and throws the child off his feet and around the corner. Moneypenny is already in action. Leaping over the wire and landing a solid punch right in the man’s jaw. The bastard barely flinches. 

The Double 0 aims his Walter to help when shouts above them draw his attention. Another three men stand on top of the high crates, each brandishing a crossbow. 

“Damnit!”

It takes half a second to find his aim before Bond has two of the men down. Each with a bullet hole in the center of their heads. The third shoots at him in kind, and flaming bolt just passing an inch from his shoulder. Bond fires and hits the fiend in the kneecap. The man staggers dangerously close to the edge of the crate. The trajectory of his fall has Bond screaming.

“EVE! COEUS! MOVE!”

Bond staggers backwards desperate to avoid the fallout. He sees Moneypenny bolt away from the man she was grappling with and disappears around the crate, not taking a moment to hesitate in heed of the other agents’ warning. Coeus is nowhere in sight or sound.

The Double 0 doesn’t have time to worry about that as the man on top of the crate finally loses his balance and falls, landing right on top of the wire.  
…  
His ears are ringing. 

Dust causes his eyes to water uncontrollably. 

His back and knee aches from where he lays. 

Bond coughs.

As he tries to sit up his elbow comes into contact with something that squishes under his weight. The agent looks down, his vision taking a moment to focus, to find-

Bond rolls away with a speed that has him scrambling back. The floors and crate walls are covered in gore. Himself included. He shakes off the mess as best he could. The man who fell isn’t there, but his presence was definitely left behind. 

In pieces.

The ringing fades but the sound of gunshots quickly takes its place. Moneypenny’s voice can be heard shouting for something. Bond tries to focus. 

“…you’re okay?! Bond for… answer me! ….Bond?!”

It’s the panicked call of his name and the distinct sound of a dog yelping between the gunshots that gets the agent to his feet. He slips on entrails in his attempt to race to his partner.

‘Why must explosions always leave such a mess.’

Rounding the shipping crate Bond sees Moneypenny go down to a large dog. Her gun slides across the dirt. The beast pins the other agent to the floor, teeth snapping at the hollow of her throat as she holds it back by a dirty collar. Her cries of alarm and despair has Bond taking aim.

It’s no good. He doesn’t have a clear shot. Not without risk.

“Bond!” 

The Double 0 rips his aim away from Moneypenny to the sound of Coeus screaming for him. 

Flat on his back on the other side of the area. Another bigger dog, no, a fucking hyena, has the boy pinned as well. His thin arm locked in between the beasts’ jaw as it swings its head back and forth. Fangs digging and tearing at the limb, flinging the boy with it. Blood and drool pools from the beast mouth and dripping onto the child’s face. The sporadic nature of its movements leaves Bond unable to fire without hitting his charge. But Coeus locks eyes with the agent and slides ‘Blue’ to him across the dirt floor. 

Picking up the stun rod 007 makes to charge at the beast attacking the younger of the three. Coeus shakes his head, the furious shriek that rips from his abused vocal cords sends Bond back a step. The unknown chill of a threat causing the agent to stop.

“HELP HER!!” 

He wasn’t asking. 

That was an order. 

Bond steals a glance at Moneypenny to find her losing the fight against her own mutt. Her throat just inches from being torn out. The sound of feral growling and tearing fabric reaches his ears from where Coeus struggles. The child doesn’t make a sound apart from frustrated grunts and cursing.

He’s stuck. 

A decision has to be made here. 

And if their roles were reversed Bond knows Moneypenny would do the same. She would understand. He hopes she understands. 

The mission comes first. 

Coeus comes first. 

Another failure on his part. Another partner to bury. He’ll make sure there’s a body this time. Bond turns away from his partner, an apology on his lips, ready to run to their charge.

But when he looks back to Coeus, the boy has reached into his jacket and is pulling out his S&W. The preteen thrusts the barrel of the magnum against the beasts’ head and into its ear before cocking the gun and pulling the trigger. 

The gunshot is deafening in the cramped labyrinth. The sound echoing along the metal surrounding them. A high-pitched yelp follows before the dog slumps on top of his charge. The upper half of its head decorating the wall nearby. 

Bond doesn’t think. 

Two of the three are out of immediate danger, that leave one more to care for.

The agent drops his Walther and with both hands swings the deactivate stun rod on the mutt just before its teeth can meet the delicate flesh of Moneypenny’s neck. The metal connects with its skull with a crunch and the dog is thrown back with a yelp. 

Moneypenny gasps and shakes on the floor. Saliva covers her face. She pushes herself up onto her elbows and scrambles back behind Bond, grabbing hold to his pant leg to steady herself. He stands in front of her activating the stun rod. 

The weapon feels warm and deadly in his hands. Bond can understand at once how so many have fallen to its strike from a child. Loosening his stance for action he waits. 

Ready.

The stunned beast stands back up and shakes itself. Skull caved in on one side, its milky eye hanging loose. The weapon in his hands hums with power.

The dog growls. 

Bond growls back. 

Its head and neck splits in two down the middle. 

He freezes. 

“WHAT THE FUCK!?” Moneypenny shrieks behind him. 

In between the split head are cracked and shattered bones that look like large teeth in a wide gaping maw. Tendrils that look suspiciously like intestines spring forward and flail wildly from the back of its ripped skull. It stalks forward. 

Bond slowly inches back, making sure Moneypenny stays behind him, until their backs hit a crate wall. They’re trapped.

He can’t breathe.

Every time he thinks he has a handle on the situation some new bullshit like this throws him off his game.

He’d be pissed if he wasn’t so terrified.

Bond isn’t sure what draws his attention to it, whether it be the shine of the sun or some sixth sense he’s developed in all his years of as an agent, but the sight of a tripwire sitting behind the creature gives him an idea. 

The beast watches him, weary after that last hit.

“Tripwire.” The agent mutters careful not to make any sudden movements. 

Moneypenny however seems to have gotten the idea as she slowly grabs a piece of scrap metal from the floor. From the corner of his eye Bond sees Coeus observing the scene from his place under his own beast’s carcass with bated breath. He brings his uninjured hand to his mouth without drawing the dogs’ attention and waits for a signal.

The agent nods sharply and feints moving forward at the same time Coeus lets out a shrill whistle. The action and the sudden sound succeeds in throwing the creature off not knowing which to address. The moment of hesitation is all Moneypenny needs to launch the scrap metal at the thin wire behind it.

Bond throws himself over Moneypenny and prays that Coeus has ample time to somehow find cover.

The explosion sends the mutt forward with a yelp, the blast just as hot and loud as the one before it. Bond is sure he’s going to need to get his ears checked out after this. When the dust settles once more the agent takes a moment to ensure the threat was taken care of. 

He needn’t have bothered, the dog, or what once was a dog, thrashes and twitches on the floor before falling still, the hind legs completely gone. 

“Holy. Shit.” Coeus mutters in awe somewhere behind him. 

Moneypenny is gripping tightly to his shoulder holster beneath him. Her hands tremble and her eyes are screwed shut but her breathing is deep and slow.

“You alright?”

She jerks her head into a nod. “Y-yeah. M’ fine.”

“Bullshit.”

The other agent glares at him halfheartedly, not to fond of having her own words thrown back at her. Bond smiles, cheeky. She pushes him off of her and works on finding her Walther. He rolls onto his knees taking a moment to calm down before retrieving his own.

“That was completely badass! Look at us! Team Badass right here! You guys were so cool! Bond you were like, oh man! And Moneypenny! I knew you had a sharp aim but wow! Right on the wire! That dog didn’t stand a chance in hell against us! Woo!!” Coeus laughs. 

Bond smiles and sighs at the shouts of excitement and praise the boy throws in their direction. He turns to give the boy his own praise when he chokes. 

In the aftermath of the madness and the high of coming out of a fight alive, he forgot.

How the fuck did he forget?

Coeus stands there struggling to put his magnum back into its holster. His wrist held stiffly, possibly sprained and sore from the powerful weapons’ recoil and his inability to use a trigger finger that wasn’t there. 

His other arm doesn’t move from where it hangs limply at his side. Jacket sleeve shredded and stained black and red. Bond can see the torn skin beneath, weeping in earnest now. Blood drips down his small fingertips in rivulets onto the dirt.

Coeus smiles brightly, eyes crinkled and sparkling with excitement behind his gore covered glasses, like he can’t even feel it. Like the pain of having his forearm ripped to shit didn’t even register. Like…

Oh.

Wait.

“OH MY GOD!” 

Moneypenny flies past the Double 0 like a woman possessed, stumbling on shaky knees to get to their charge. Coeus pales like the blood loss is finally getting to him and flinches backwards. 

“Wha-“

“Give me your arm, hon! Let me see! Oh my god! Shit, shit, shit! Holy shit!” 

The other agent doesn’t hesitate grabbing his arm, causing the younger to freak out even more. Moneypenny lets go when Coeus fights back. Blunt nails dig into her wrist painfully, a strong kick in the shin, pushing her away and backtracking till he hit a metal wall. He presses himself firmly against it low to the ground.

Bond stands to help but stops short when he catches the panic in the boys’ eyes. The green of his eyes are swallowing his pupils causing the irises to practically glow behind his glasses. Glazed and they dart back and forth between the two agents, before closing tight. He’s muttering under his breath.

Reassurances probably. 

The Double 0 would punch something if he didn’t think it would set the child off even more.

Moneypenny is on her knees, watching the boy with her hands to her mouth. She swallows hard, eyes closed, breathing deep. Pulling her hands away she holds one out to Coeus with a wavering smile.

“I’m sorry hon. I didn’t… I shouldn’t have rushed at you like that. I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry. That was wrong. I’m not going to harm you Co. I just want to see what hurts. I want to help. Please hon, I need see.”

His small chest heaves even with no sound coming from him. No expression on his face. He tucks the injured arm closer to himself. Now that Bond is really looking at it, the arm is resting at an awkward angle.

Shoulder dislocated in the struggle.

Shit.

“It’s okay Coeus. We aren’t going to hurt you. We just want to help.” Bond isn’t sure if what he’s saying helps but for God’s sake he doesn’t have it in him to continue watching as this twelve-year-old hyperventilates and bleeds freely from a fucking hyena attack. “Let us help.”

They’re in a bad spot. They are sitting ducks in this death trap of a labyrinth. Bond is hyperaware of every little noise around them, waiting for the next threat to walk around the corner. They don’t have the time to spend trying to calm the panicking child down. What they need to do is move to a more secure location. 

Bond doesn’t move from his kneeling position on the floor. Moneypenny doesn’t either. Neither ceasing in their reassuring words. Neither force Coeus to them. This boy has spent a majority of their time together thus far giving them comfort and guidance and support. 

They will make the time to do the same for him. 

Eventually their patience is rewarded. 

Coeus slowly inches away from the wall, coming towards them clutching his arm. His eyes have trailed to the floor, only occasionally glancing back up at them. He takes a deep breath before grabbing Moneypenny’s hand with his uninjured one. 

He swallows, cheeks turning pink. “M’ sorry.” 

“No, no, no hon. That’s on me. I know better. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“I overreacted.”

“You reacted how you’ve needed to in the past to survive, Co. Just instincts is all.”

Coeus looks like he doesn’t believe him but says no more on the matter.

“We should move. There’s an open crate just around the corner.”

How he could possibly know that Bond isn’t sure but won’t argue with it. They inch forward. Moneypenny has a death grip on the boy’s jacket. Coeus doesn’t do anything against it and leads them around the corner. 

Sure enough, just like the boy said, an open empty crate sits waiting to offer them a temporary shelter. It’s still not secure, won’t take much to be cornered and blocked in. It’s a huge risk staying here. 

The agent watches as his partner crouches before their charge, hand hovering over his injury. It’s a risk they’ll have to take.

“Can I see your arm?”

The boy nods sharply, allowing her to lift the bloody appendage for the agent to see. He chinches his jaw when it moves. Bond winces for him.

First things first then.

“We need to reset his arm.”

Moneypenny turns to him confused for a moment while Coeus watches him cautiously. The other agent finally looks and startles. The boy sighs.

“Why didn’t you say anything?!”

“S’ not a big deal.” The boy says. He won’t look either of them in the eye and the flex of his jaw is the only indicator he’s feeling anything.

“Not a big..?” Bond pinches the bridge of his nose. “Coeus, you don’t have to act like a hot shot for us. Dislocated shoulders are a bitch and a half, believe me.”

“Remember what I said before? It’s okay to not be okay hon. Tell us if you’re hurt we want to make it better.”

Coeus huffs. “I’m fine. Not the first time I’ve had my arm pulled from its socket, probably won’t be the last either. I can deal with it, watch.” 

Before either of them could stop him, Coeus yanks the wrist of his dislocated arm out and forward. A slick pop has both agents jumping in surprise. If Bond thought the boy was pale before watching the blood drain from his face in pain made him look like a corpse. He didn’t utter a sound the entire time save for a sharp inhale of breath. The continuous swallowing has Bond worried the boy will vomit. 

“Se-see. Good as new.”

The smile Coeus gave them was more of a constipated grimace, his thumbs up is shaking horribly, and his swaying on the spot did nothing to ease the Double 0’s mind. Never mind the fact that this kid has had his arm out of socket enough times to instinctually know how to put it back in place. 

“What the hell?”

“Co, no!” Moneypenny is cradling the arm again trying to keep it level while Coeus is busy regulating his breaths. “That- it- you could have hurt yourself!”

“Putting your arm back in socket is easy, just hurts…a bit.” The boy grounds out. “But it’s back in now so we can move on? We don’t have all day.”

“Co…”

“He’s right, Moneypenny.”

He’s right, as much as the agent doesn’t like it. They need to finish and get out of here. With one injury out of the way Bond and Moneypenny focus on the next.

The sleeve is ruined, neither of them can see the extent of the damage.

“Stupid dog.” Coeus mutters darkly at the sight of his beloved jacket.

“Can you take the coat off for a second?” Bond says, moving to help ease the jacket off.

He stops at the boy’s glare. A chill runs up his spine, the hairs on the back of his neck rise. 

‘Neutralize the threat.’ 

He ignores it. 

“No.”

“Coe..”

“No.” He’s backing up again, trying to pull his arm out of Moneypenny’s grip.

“Okay, okay. You don’t have to. We’ll just pull up the sleeve, that’s fine.” Moneypenny rambles quickly. They’ve made good progress; a stupid extra layer is not about to ruin it.

That, at the very least, settles the boy. The agents’ glance at one another before Bond gently takes the sleeve and does his best to push up the soaked fabric. Just beneath the jacket he comes across another sleeve of a thin black shirt.

“How many layers do you have on exactly?” James can’t help but ask with a raised brow. How this kid hasn’t gotten heat exhaustion yet is beyond him.

“Four.”

The agents stare in disbelief. Their charge stares back blankly.

“I get cold easy.” The explanation is spoken easily. 

Easily, but it’s not the full truth. There is something other underneath the statement, a half-truth. Another reason Coeus isn’t sharing. The two stare one another down for a moment. Searching blues and hazels collide with an impassive wall of green. Bond shakes his head and gives first. It’s not worth getting into right now.

There is more resistance as the second layer gets caught in the injury but without any reaction from Coeus it’s hard to determine if he’s causing further harm. Eventually the sleeve is forced up.

“Jesus Christ.” 

With the layer now out of the way the extent of the damage is in full view. The teeth marks take up a majority of his forearm, settling the punctures and tears well within the deformity of his old burns. 

In the warehouse, Bond saw the burns from a few feet away. Now he has the extent of the injury right in his face. It wasn’t any wonder Moneypenny looked seconds from being sick holding his arms before. The new trauma was making it look even worse.

Small fingers twitch at random. Each movement causes the exposed muscle of his arm to move along. Bond hopes that the small bit of white he spots beneath isn’t bone. 

“We need to treat this. Shit. Who knows what kind of diseases were in that thing’s mouth.” Moneypenny’s hands are steady on the small limb even as her voice shakes slightly.

The implications of her words fill Bond with dread.

“Coeus, this thing that’s turning the people here-“ 

“Oh God!” Seems that thought didn’t even cross her mind. “What do we do? What can we do?” 

Moneypenny speaks as calmly as she’s able to at the moment, which isn’t saying much. But she’s right they need to know what to do to help him, or prevent this, or God forbid, when to put him down.

“No! No, it’s fine. This thing it’s not… it’s a parasite, but it doesn’t pass through bites or blood like this. I’m fine.” Both agents sag against each other in relief. “At most I’ll get rabies or something dull like that.” The boy shrugs. 

“Coeus!” Panic is reintroduced to their blood stream.

Bond can see it now. The fever, the delirium, seizures, paralysis, brain death. Fuck, this kid is too smart and bright for his age to be taken out by something like brain death. Moneypenny has a muttering mantra of ‘shit, shit, shit’ under her breath. The BSAA, they have to have something for this on them right? Vaccines or- 

“I’m kidding! Christ, relax.” Coeus has his free hand up and waving back and forth in an attempt to pacify them. “I got my vaccinations last year in Durban. I won’t get rabies. Seesh.” 

Bond lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. So, there is no risk of the boy being infected with whatever the hell this ‘thing’ is, or rabies. Good, that just leaves a high chance of bacterial infection due to the open wound and whatever else was in that things mouth. Not ideal but better than the alternative.

M is going to kill him.

“Co, hon, you have to stop with the jokes, okay. My heart can’t take much more.” Moneypenny has her face in her hands. Bond can practically taste her exhaustion at the morbid joke.

“Where’s the fun in that?”

If there is a God, Bond is praying that he gives them strength to bare the weight of this child’s complete disregard for their combined sanities. Please, dear God in heaven.

“Co.”

“I have some disinfectant and stuff in my bag.” The boy completely brushes her off. “Just give me a minute and I’ll be ready to go.” 

Coeus states nonchalantly already digging into his satchel and dragging out his first aid kit. He sets himself and the kit on the ground, pulling his arm away and grabbing a clear bottle. Working on the cap with his teeth.

Bond takes the bottle from his hand. 

“Hey!”

“I got you. Just sit still.”

Moneypenny slides the well-stocked (over-stocked, but he’s not complaining) med kit towards herself ignoring the bouts of protests that erupt from the boy’s mouth as she goes through it.

“Coeus.” The calm call of his name shuts the boy up. “Let us help.”

Coeus stares at the two of them, chewing on his bottom lip. With a steeled jaw the boy challenges them again.

“I can handle myself.”

“Don’t doubt that.” Bond says.

“I know how to take care of injuries like this.”

“That’s fine. We can too.” Moneypenny responds.

“You don’t need to baby me. I’m not useless.”

“Never said you were.”

“Hmm.” Coeus works his jaw back and forth debating with himself. 

Bond knows that struggle. Knows how hard it is to accept any type of help offered by anyone. Especially, after being on your own for so long. He gets it, and maybe this makes him a hypocrite but he’s not moving until the boy in front of him accepts that he can lean on them for more than just a pair of guns. 

“You don’t have to do this alone. We’re right here. We’re not going to hurt you. Let us help.”

“Don’t think you could if you tried.” The words are spoken softly with an edge to them. 

If Bond wasn’t sitting as close as he was to the boy he doubts he would have heard him. The Double 0 doesn’t know how to take that. If the boy meant they weren’t able to help him or hurt him. Somehow Bond is convinced he means both. 

‘Now is not the time to be thinking about this.’

In the end Coeus relents with a nod and a quiet, unsure. “Okay.” 

He doesn’t watch as Bond carefully cleans the wounds, digging dirt and fabric fibers out, and God he hopes that it doesn’t get infected. The Double 0 knows from experience that shit like this hurts like hell and he tries to be extra careful. 

“You don’t have to be gentle agent. Can’t feel anything.”

“Oh, right.” ‘Shit.’

Moneypenny, who has taken to guarding them, flinches at the confession. It’s one thing to suspect nerve damage. It’s another thing entirely to have it confirmed. Bond doesn’t say anything more, just continues, making sure everything is cleaned before Moneypenny comes over to stich and wrap the arm up to his elbow.

“Can you bend or move your fingers at all?” 

“Oh, um.”

A stupid question, and all three of them know it.

Coeus lifts his arm. The whole limb shakes uncontrollably. His cheeks puff in concentration trying to get his digits to form a fist. They hardly respond beyond a twitch.

Moneypenny looks close to tears. “Fuck. Okay, okay. You can stop, that’s fine.”

Bond puts a gentle hand on the boy’s shoulder as he continues to struggle. “It’s okay Coeus. We’ll get you fixed up good as new as soon as we…”

“You mean like this right?” Before the Double 0 could even finish his reassurances Coeus flexes and wiggles his fingers with little trouble before settling on keeping his middle up in a rude gesture. 

The cheeky bastard has the gall to smile widely at their blank faces before bursting out laughing. “Oh my God… your faces… you should see your… I can’t… I can’t breathe!”

The boy is wheezing from his own prank while Bond struggles to keep himself from strangling the brat. Moneypenny is somewhere between relieved the damage wasn’t enough to handicap the boy and irritated at his antics. 

Bond is gearing up to tear into his charge before he notices. Despite his giggles, the other hand is tugging desperately on his sleeves trying to bring them down over the bandage. Behind the stained glasses his eyes are too wide, too glassy. His shoulders tremble only slightly with draining adrenaline that could easily be mistaken for laughter. The laughter itself is bordering on hysterical.

The jokes about the damage; the dismissals on the gravity of the situation; needing to tend to the injury himself to keep himself busy, occupied.

Shit, Bond himself was deflecting Moneypenny’s concern over his leg just a while prior.

Coeus is a twelve-year-old little boy who has just been attacked, by a large hyena at that.

He’s not mocking them.

He’s deflecting them.

He’s not making light of what happened.

He’s avoiding acknowledging what happened.

He’s scared.

He’s terrified.

He’s hurt.

And he’s trying to hide it.

Bond takes a deep breath and after counting to ten slowly releases it. When he looks back to Coeus the boy is watching them both with caution. Smile just a tad too strained, muscles too taught, eyes searching. Body too still. He’s waiting. For reprimand, or violence Bond isn’t sure, but it does something to his chest to think this child still thinks they’ll cause him harm if he pushes too hard. Pushes too far.

And James knows part of that is his fault.

“Well,” Moneypenny once again breaks the stalemate. “Try not to move your arm too much. We don’t have anything we can use for a sling, and a field job will never catch everything, and we can’t determine the extent of the damage with your previous injury. So, be careful, okay?”

“Um? Okay?” Coeus is completely caught off guard by the concern. Bond resists the urge to hit something again.

“We’ll change the bandage when we reach Delta Team. Tell us if it starts to feel warm.” Bond makes sure to add a firmness to the last sentence. He has no doubt in his mind this kid would hide something like that. The agent’s eyes go to the boy’s neck, spotting the hand shaped bruises beginning to circle his throat. The bags beneath his eyes have grown darker.

Coeus raises a brow into his hair, clearly not impressed with the order. “Sure.”

“I mean it.”

“Yeah, yeah agent. Can we go now?”

Bond huffs and his partner gives him a sympathetic smile. The Double 0 reaches behind him and tugs ‘Blue’ from where he looped it in his belt. Coeus takes it from him with a grateful nod, his shoulders finally relaxing.

“Good balance, right?” The cheeky smile returns.

Bond returns it with one of his own. “Yeah, not bad kid.”

The boy perks up even more at the praise for his beloved weapon and Moneypenny shakes her head. She pats both of their shoulders and Bond isn’t sure if the trembling he feels is coming from her or himself. 

Together the trio exit the crate and continue on their way. If they move even slower than before making absolute sure that Coeus is firmly between them, well, no one says anything about it.

Bond isn’t sure how long they walk within the labyrinth, but it feels like an eternity. Eventually they make it out of the metal death trap and into a small scrapyard. 

Old rusty cars are stacked on top of one another. Barrels and sharp shards of metal are pushed aside to make a pathway to walk through. There is a gate on the other side of the yard.

Coeus takes a deep breath. “Ah, nothing like the lovely smell of sun heated metal and garbage.” 

Bond raises a brow watching as Coeus moves easily through the path and finds a car to climb on top of. Moneypenny moves to help him up. “Been here before I take it.”

“Yup, got the tire for Blue’s handle from here. This scrapyard isn’t as big as the one outside the northern side of the city, but there is still plenty of good pickings here.”

Standing on the roof of the burnt-out vehicle, Coeus is able to see above the gate. He points out. Moneypenny follows his finger. Bond joins the two to see what’s to see. A broken-down bridge just beyond the gate and across it lays several large buildings.

“Just beyond the bridge is a water tunnel we can use to get to the trading port without needing to maneuver through the other warehouses. Safer that way for sure.”

“A water tunnel?” Moneypenny asks.

“Alright. It’s a sewage system, was trying to pretty it up for ya. Figured you agents don’t usually travel like rats.” 

“Hmm, can’t say we do.” Bond agrees.

Coeus nods. He hops from his perch and stumbles forward with a wince when he jolts his arm. Moneypenny catches him and sets him upright. “Thanks.”

“What did I tell you before? Careful with the arm.”

“I’m fine.” Coeus looks to Bond for help. The Double 0 gives him an unimpressed look.

“You should listen to her. Last thing we need is for you to accidently hurt yourself.” He crosses his arms, hoping he’s coming across as supportive. Moneypenny smiles, so he must be doing something right. 

Coeus groans with his head back. “You two are going to be insufferable by the end of this, aren’t you?” The boy stalks ahead to the gate. 

The agents share a look. If the situation keeps escalading, they were indeed going to be insufferable. Twice already has their charge been hurt. With more previous injuries making themselves known the longer they work with the boy adding to that list anymore is not an option. That protective instinct is in high gear for the Double 0. Bond knows the same is true for Moneypenny.

Bond grabs the handle on the gate and pulls. It doesn’t move.

“Fuckin...” 

The agent moves to put his whole weight against the metal. His shoes stain to find purchase in the dirt. Moneypenny joins in pulling. Coeus giggles as he watches the two struggling against the door. It only just barely moves.

“What are you laughing about?” Bond snaps with a winded breath.

“Nothing, nothing. Just wondering if you were planning on putting more effort in.”

“Why don’t you get your scrawny ass over here and help if you think it’s so funny.”

“Bond. Shut up and push.” Moneypenny kicks him in the shin by accident when her foot slips in the dirt.

“I’m not s’pose to move my arm, remember? I’m injured.” 

Coeus has the biggest shit eating grin that he tries to make more innocent. Bond would go over there and wipe it off his face if he didn’t think he’d find a heeled boot in his pants for his effort.

Eventually the gate moves enough for Coeus to skip over and squeeze through the gap. 

“Don’t go too far ahead. Stay close to us.” Moneypenny calls out to him. 

“Yeah, yeah.” Coeus responds from the other side.

They continue to work on forcing the gate open when the door slides to the side with no resistance whatsoever, leaving Moneypenny on her back and Bond face down in the dirt.

“Shit!”

“Fuck!”

“Agents down!” Coeus laughs so hard he doubles over. 

Moneypenny chuckles herself, dusting off her backside. Bond grumbles as he stands. Coeus is pulling the leather strap of his glasses back around his head and fixing it into place.

“How the hell did you open it?”

“Oh, um. There was a metal rod in the track holding it shut.”

“Good job, Co.”

The boy puffs his chest at the praise. He leads the way to the bridge with overconfident steps. Bond takes a moment to look back at the open gate. There is heavy rust coating the wheels on the tracks. Quite a bit of it has flacked off from the movement. 

There isn’t a rod in sight.

‘Kid probably threw it.’

Odd that he didn’t hear any metal land anywhere but that could be from the damage to his ears.

“Now hold on there, Co.” The sound of Moneypenny’s voice brings the agent to look ahead. 

The bridge is even more damaged up close. It’s sagging in places, so much so that the bridge has a section that has completely separated from the rest of it. The gap isn’t big and the drop to the water below isn’t high, but he has to agree with Moneypenny, Coeus probably shouldn’t jump it by himself.

“It’s not even that far of a jump. I can make leaps twice this wide.”

“Yeah, well you can show us some other time.” Bond cuts in stepping to the edge of the gap and jumping.

The agent lands, careful to distribute his weight properly. He stands and looks back towards his companions. He holds his hands out for the boy. “Okay. Just jump to me. Don’t be scared, I’ll make sure you don’t fall.”

The Double 0 get a raspberry for his effort, and his arms full of the kid’s satchel. The sudden weight is enough to make him lose his balance and almost fall off the edge of the bridge. 

‘The hell is in this thing?’

“Coeus!” Moneypenny yelps.

A small grunt next to him draws his attention to the boy coming out of a rolled crouch. “Be careful with that agent. I have stuff in there worth more than a year of your paycheck.”

“Christ.” He could hear the other agent mumble.

“Why the hell did you throw it at me then?” Bond shoves the satchel at Coeus. The boy takes it without trouble. “And what’s even in it? Bricks?”

“Well, you had your arms ready and it’s harder for me to balance my weight with it so, I figured if you wouldn’t drop me you wouldn’t drop it. Seems I was right.”

“And if you were wrong?” 

Coeus opens his mouth to spit another witty comment, Bond is sure, but the sound of a horn cuts him off. Bond and Coeus whip their heads towards the source of the sound. 

At the other end of the bridge is a truck. One that is picking up speed and heading right in their direction. 

“Oh.” Coeus mumbles and shimmies behind him, clutching his belt.

Bond can’t form words. His gun is in his hands but he doesn’t have a clear shot at the driver through the dirty glass. They need to move, get out of the way, but there’s nowhere to go. The angle of the gap they just crossed would make it impossible for him to get both of them back over before the truck reached them. 

‘The drop isn’t that far, I can shield Coeus from the worst of it.’ But the water is murky, and they already have to worry about a possible infection of the boy’s arm. Adding new bacteria is begging for trouble. 

‘So is standing here waiting to get hit by a truck!’

A shot over head breaks the windshield of the vehicle, planting a bullet into the driver’s skull. As the driver slumps to the side, he pulls the wheel causing the truck to turn so sharp it tips.

Bond grabs Coeus by the waist and throws them both to the other corner of the bridge. They land hard, the child’s weight enough to knock the air out of the agent’s lungs, but they just manage to avoid the collision with the vehicle. 

Bond sits up still clutching tightly to the boy in his arms. He can feel his small chest heave in time with his own and a blunt nails clutching his wrist. After a moment of silence Moneypenny jumps the gap to join them.

“Are you okay?!” There is a bit of panic in her voice as her eyes search the both of them for injuries.

The boy’s good arm shoots into the air so fast he almost socks Bond in the jaw. “Woo! What a shot! That was amazing!” He cries excitedly.

Moneypenny huffs with relief and helps Coeus up, before doing the same for Bond. The boy still rambling in the background.

“Glad to see you’re both okay.”

“Yeah. Thanks for the assist.”

“Hey, we’re a team right? Gotta stick together.” She says with a wink.

“Come on, lets go!” Coeus shouts from several yards away. Already moving ahead of them.

“Oi!” The agents jog to catch up. “What did we say about sticking close to us.”

“Well keep up old man. I’ve got things to do and places to be.”

“I’m not old damn it.” Bond grumbles as Moneypenny pats him on the shoulder in pity.

On the other side of the bridge is a set of stairs off to the right that Coeus leads them to. Its here Bond takes the lead again, gun up and ready for the next set of horrors this place has for them.

There is a small ledge they walk on to avoid the filthy water below. The smell has the three of them covering their noses against the stench. Coeus was right though, traveling through the dark sewer was better than possibly fighting hoards in the warehouses. 

They wander the tunnel until they reach a door. They have to be near the port by now. The door leads them standing in a deep cement ditch. Buildings and neighborhood surround them. At the end of the ditch sits a door and past that a ladder to the streets. 

Murky water isn’t the only thing in the ditch with them.

“My God…” Moneypenny places her hand on the boy’s shoulder. For who’s comfort, Bond isn’t sure.

There are bodies, several, that have been thrown down here with them. All of them in varying states of decay. One man is missing his face, a woman’s neck is twisted. The waters turned crimson beneath them all.

Bond begins to inch his way forward before he’s stopped. He turns to look at Coeus as the boy tugs him back by the belt. He doesn’t look at the agent, wide eyes locked on the bodies. 

At the start of this the Double 0 never thought he’d be taking orders from a child. Especially one without much regard for their own health. But the past few hours have more than proven that if the kid tells you to wait, you fucking wait.

A minute passes, none of them move while Coeus scrutinizes the corpses that may not be corpses. Slowly Coeus reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a small stone.

“Get ready.” He says as he throws the rock. It hits the nearest man in the head. No sooner did it hit did the body begin to convulse. “Something’s coming.”

Moneypenny pushes Coeus behind her and takes her stance next to Bond. Both of them lift their guns. As the first body continues to shake the others in the ditch began to join before finally something broke through their backs and flies into the air. With wings.

“What the hell?!”

The things flying through the air was something out of a nightmare. It’s body pulses with thick veins, looking like the inside of a stomach that’s been horribly disfigured. Tentacles flail wildly around it. The bottom held what could be the very start of the large intestine but with rows of teeth spinning in the opening. They are surprisingly agile despite the strain it looks like the weight of it has on the wings. 

Bond and Moneypenny open fire on the creatures as they start to advance toward them. The Double 0 curses as a few of the bastards move sharply to the side to avoid the gunfire. 

“Reloading!”

“I’ve got ya.”

“Incoming!” 

Bond dodges with a roll as one of the beasts lunges for him. He can’t suppress a snarl of disgust as the filthy water in the ditch soaks his back. The agent swings around and pulls out the shotgun he had strapped to his back. The blast is enough to rip the wings of the closest one and stun the others. 

It takes two full clips and five shells. Each threat that is taken down explodes in a shower of pus and fluids, until the last of the winged abominations lay still. No one moves as the three try to assess whether or not the things are actually dead.

Eventually, Coeus creeps forward, stun rod at the ready. The agents, neither stopping him nor letting go alone, follow. The boy crouches to one of the bodies, examining both the human and creature carcass. 

“This one’s new.” He mutters poking at a wing with Blue. 

“New? As in you haven’t seen this before?” Moneypenny asks.

“Thought you were our resident expert on all things terrible here.” Bond knows that’s not really fair to put on the kid. But if he’s in the dark about some of these things, who’s to say the next surprise won’t get them all killed. “What about those dogs before, did you know about them?”

Coeus puffs. “Oh, I know all about them. Animals are usually the first to be infected and studied. I have miles of information on them from the controlled testings. But… this is a much bigger demonstration. With a much larger group of people to infect. While I’ve seen a majority of the mutations we’ve seen so far that doesn’t mean I know about all that there could be. To many variables in an uncontrolled environment.” 

That makes perfect sense. 

‘Doesn’t make it not annoying.’

Coeus bites at his thumb in frustration. “I have files on me for what to expect, notes from my observations too. But I don’t know the full extent that this Plaga can mutate people. Or what criteria one needs to have a unique mutation over another. Not with this many unknowns.”

Bond can practically see the cogs in the boy’s head turning. He met eyes with Moneypenny, her own showing concern for the child in front of them.

“Should have dug deeper when I had the chance, consequences be damned.”

“Well, it’s no use worrying about it now. You’ve done the best you could, and it’s kept us alive for this long.” Moneypenny kneels down next to Coeus and lays her hand over his to get him to stop his biting. “And I, for one, am very glad you didn’t do anything to put yourself in any greater risk.” 

Coeus glances at her from beneath his curls, contemplative, before he gives timid smile. 

Bond pulls on the lobe of his ear trying to think of something to say. ‘Something encouraging. You can do that.’

“You’re…doing an okay job. Better than most would do in your situation. So… um.”

Coeus looks at the older agent and snickers. “Don’t blow a gasket trying to think there, Bond.”

“Oi!”

“Alright, I think we’ve dallied long enough.” Moneypenny sharply claps her hands together, putting an end to the upcoming argument.

Coeus raises and starts heading for the ladder leading to the street. “Just up here and we’ll be at the port trading center. From there we go through an apartment complex and then it’s a free shot to the mines.” 

Moneypenny sighs. “The end is in sight gentlemen.”

“Yeah and the only thing standing in our way is an army of hostile, parasite infected natives.” Coeus laughs.

‘God, I am taking a proper holiday after this.’ The Double 0 promises himself. “I need a shower.” His small team groan in agreement as they make their way up. 

The port is empty. 

Small row boats and larger fishing boats litter the small beach and wooden docks. Fruit, vegetable, and fish stands stand abandoned with rotted and decayed products left in the sun. The market buildings are boarded up and locked tight. There is a barricade blocking off the road out.

Ghost town is the best description Bond can come up with at the moment. It’s quiet. The sound of waves meeting the shore, and the wind gently brushing against chimes. But it’s quiet.

007 is immediately on edge. 

“Someone’s here.” 

He nods at her observation. Moneypenny’s back is to his, gun up. Coeus is clinging to his belt again, eyes calmly analyzing their surroundings.

“What’s the plan? We try and scale that barricade we’ll be easy targets.”

“Hmm.”

Bond stares at an iron gate that closes one of the docks. A boat sits in the water, and on the other side of it is a small jump that will lead them to the other side of the road.

Moneypenny follows his gaze. “Think that will work?”

“I’m not seeing any other options at the moment. Unless you wanna try the roofs.”

“Think you can pick the lock?”

“I can do that.” Coeus shoots his hand in the air, before digging in his satchel and pulling out an old vintage Winne the Pooh pencil case. “You two cover me. I’ll have this open in a…”

A multitude of howls echo in harmony across the port. Infected appear on the roof and race from the alleys. Climbing over the barricade with little regard for the sharp pieces of wood and metal they catch on their skin. 

“…jiffy.” 

Bond jumps over the nearest stand and uses his shoulder to tip the counter over. It falls causing an avalanche of brown fruit to splatter onto the ground. Moneypenny crouches behind the newly made cover and fires at the hostiles closest to her partner. Bond leaps over again to join her. 

The agent takes a split second to check on the boy behind them. Coeus is at work on the lock not even acknowledging the chaos around him. Satisfied, Bond returns his attention to the fight. 

With gunfire and animalistic screaming filling his ears, Bond almost missed the large man coming behind him. The agent moves. Just managing to avoid the fist that came in contact with the wood where his head was. 

Bond aims at the man’s kneecap, bullet shredding through bone and tendons causing the man to drop to one knee. 

Pulling back his fist the Double 0 plants it into the threat’s face in a straight hook. The man stumbles back but still does not fall. 

A sudden weight on his shoulder and Moneypenny is there using him as an anchor point to flip back and brings her foot into the man’s chin, snapping his head up.

The man stumbles once again but does not fall. 

Bond grabs the man’s head in a lock and jams his knee into the man’s solar plexus before thrusting his arms upward. The distinct sound of a broken neck reaches his ears. He lets the body slump forward.

“AGENTS LETS GO!”

Coeus pushes the iron gates open and runs toward the boat. Moneypenny and Bond sprint after him. More infected meet them on the deck. Bond and Moneypenny quickly deal a deathblow to two of the men while Coeus cooks the last with Blue.

There is no time to think. The hostiles from the port are heading for the boat. Bond jumps the gap between the boat and the other side of the dock. Coeus grabs his hand without complaint and follows. Moneypenny is coming out of a roll next to them. 

Before they could be followed further Coeus reaches into his belt and pulls the pin on another metal cylinder. He throws it onto the deck of the boat.

“GET DOWN!”

The explosion sends water and wood shards flying into the air. The three don’t leave time for the air to settle before they make their way off the dock and onto the road. 

Where they are promptly pinned.

Bond presses against the wall. His free hand grabs Coeus by the shirt and takes him with him, Moneypenny doing the same. Something whips past them at an alarming speed leaving a smoking trail in its wake. 

As it makes impact with the ground about a dozen yards away from them a wave of heat and wet gravel falls over them. A deafening explosion leaves their ears ringing. 

‘Rocket launchers. Where the fuck did they get rocket launchers?’

Another explosion nearby causes the three to flinch. The ringing gradually begins to fade, though the chaos around them did not. 

“We’re surrounded!” Moneypenny shoots the surviving men from the boat climbing out of the water.

“What do we do?” Coeus sounds calm, but Bond can feel his rapid heartbeat under his hand. 

Bond peeks his head around the corner of the wall. A whole mob of people stand at the ready on the street. On top of the buildings, hostiles armed with crossbows and those fucking rocket launchers. 

There is nowhere they can go without being hit. Either by an ax on the ground or a bolt from the sky. If they aren’t blown to bits first. More are emerging from the water, swimming from the other side.

There’s no way out. 

Bond looks at his partner in realization. The same expression is reflected back at him. They nod in understanding of their predicament. They won’t go down without a fight, but there is no winning this fight. 

Moneypenny turns down at the boy in their care, Bond does the same. Coeus stares back, resigned. His eyes are tired, scared; hands clutching the straps of his bag, shoulders slumped. 

With a deep sigh, far too sad, too defeated, he starts to undo the leather holding his glasses. His small fingers tremble as they work. The boy’s eyes never leave the agents with him. 

Bond isn’t sure how well the boy can see, but he can understand the want to not know what horrible monster it is that will kill him. 

“Don’t be mad, okay?” 

Bond’s heart breaks. The situation is far out of this child’s control, out of any of their control. He has no need to ask for such a thing. Moneypenny coughs what could have been a sob and kneels to hugs Coeus to her chest.

“We’re no mad, hon. It’s okay.”

“No. It’s not.”

Before Bond could offer his own comfort. Coeus rips off his glasses at the same time as a helicopter flies over head and takes out a building near them. 

The Double 0 throws himself over his team and dust flies into the air. His earwig goes off as the last of the cement crumbles. 

“You three okay down there?”

“Kirk!?”

“HQ sent me in to provide air support. Looks like I got here just in time. Gonna get hot down there so watch out.” The last of his words were drowned out by a barrage of bullets raining down on the hostiles on the street. 

Bond charges out of cover to shoot a man aiming his launcher at the Black Hawk. The result ends up taking out the top of that structure. 

“Wow,” He said as his team follows behind. “I didn’t think HQ actually cared.”

“They don’t.” Coeus has put his glasses back on, but he wont meet either of them in the eye. “They just realized they can’t access the full of my data without me present.”

“What?” Moneypenny shoots another on a rooftop.

“I may have encrypted more than half of my data to be completely unreadable without a code I alone know.” He shrugs. “I mean they could get through eventually; but I’m talking like months, maybe years.”

“Why?”

“Insurance. I’m not in the habit of placing my well being in the hands of a government funded agency without a safety net. No matter how good their intentions.” Coeus gives them a pointed look. 

Bond winces. ‘Damn, kid doesn’t pull punches does he.’

“Besides, I imagine that little foresight is the reason we’ve been given help in the first place.” 

“Well, I won’t argue with that.” Moneypenny shouts over the carnage. 

The trading port is a mess of flying bullets, debris, and bodies as they sprint through. They take cover when Kirk makes another lap and run once the hellfire temporarily stops.

As they take cover in a small building, Coeus wanders further in to look for supplies while the agents keep guard of the only entrance. 

“Don’t go too far, kid.”

“Focus on the bigger problem, 007.”

“Brat.”

Moneypenny snickers beside him in the doorframe. Her eyes are still a little wide as she scans the warzone before them, but they no longer hold that same acceptance of their fate. There is a fire to get them out that Bond can feel in his own.

They can get through this. 

A sharp whistle has the two of them look behind them. Coeus stands proud with a rifle in his hands. A S75 rifle to be exact and three cases of ammo for it.

“Holy shit.”

“Got you a present, agent Moneypenny.” He tosses the gun, and she snatches it out of the air. “It’s loaded.”

Quickly holstering her Walter, she brings the gun to rest on her shoulder and sends a bullet through a man’s head that had been aiming his crossbow at them. Her smile is wide and giddy with excitement. 

“Good find.”

Kirk does another pass, and they take the moment of peace to flee to another large gate leading away from the port. As they leave Kirk sends them off.

“Stay frosty down there. You’re almost at the station.”

The metal door closes behind them. The sound of gunfire doesn’t diminish, so Bond can safely assume that they won’t be followed anytime soon. 

They’re in another narrow neighborhood alleyway. Modest one-story houses make up the walls of the space. Ahead he can make out the top of a tall apartment. That’s their destination. 

“Stay close.” Bond says firmly. 

“Move fast.” Coeus responds cheekily before rushing forward.

The Double 0 grumbles as he follows.

“That boy is going to give me gray hairs. I’m too young to be grey Bond.” Moneypenny groans beside him.

“You’re telling me. I think this is the highest my blood pressure has ever been.”

“This way.”

Coeus is low to the ground when he runs. Blue has been put away in favor of holding his injured arm close. He’s peeking around the corner of a house by the time the agents catch up. 

“Just up ahead. We get through that apartment’s courtyard we’ll have a straight shot to the start of the mines.”

With the path ahead clear, the three move toward the apartment complex sitting at the top of a hill.

“Let’s hope we don’t run into anymore prob-”

The helicopter roars overhead. The Black Hawk flying through the air wildly as the BOW’s with wings attack the rotors and cockpit. Kirk’s panicked cries ring through the earwigs.

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE THOSE!? Mathison to HQ! I’m under attack by flying B.O.W.’s! I’m losing engine power! Oh, shit! I’m out of control!”

“Kirk!” “Oh God.” “No, nonononono.”

Bond, Moneypenny, and Coeus can only watch helplessly as their pilot spins in the air as the tail rotor catches fire. The chopper disappears over the top of the apartment. A trail of smoke being the only indicator it was there at all.

“I’m going down! Mayday! Mayday!”

“What’s happening! Is he okay?!” Coeus tugs on to their belts.

“Kirk! What’s going on?!”

“Come in Kirk!”

There is no reply. Just the sound of incoherent screaming before being abruptly cut off. There is an explosion in the distant.

The silence that follows does not bode well for the agents. Coeus is looking at him, for what Bond can’t guess. He’s wringing his hands together and digging his fingers into the bandages on them. 

By the look on her face Moneypenny is stuck with indecisiveness as well. They possibly, most definitely, just lost a comrade and their main source of backup.

The earwig sounds off again. “This is HQ. The helicopter has been downed. All nearby units proceed to the crash site. Repeat. All nearby units proceed to the crash site.”

“This is Bravo Team. We are in route to the site. EA fifteen minutes.” Another voice responds before it goes quiet. 

“Are we going?” Moneypenny asks.

“Of course, we’re going!”

“We-”

“NO! Just, please Bond. He- we- maybe he survived. We can help. We just- fuck, I didn’t have information on them- I don’t know how to- this is- I have to fix- he can’t die because of me Bond!”

“Hey, breathe Co. Shh.”

Coeus is working himself up into a frenzy. His breathing hitches, hands clinch tightly to his satchel strap, but he never breaks eye contact with him. 

This proves at least on some level the boy does look to the Double 0 for leadership. Bond doesn’t really know what to do with this fact. He swallows and opens his mouth.

“Listen. Look just listen for a second.” Coeus smacks Moneypenny’s hand away from him as she tries to offer comfort and backs away. His voice is croaky. Brittle. 

“Co-”

“No. No wait, just- it’s on the way. The trajectory that the helicopter went down, the smoke, it’s on the way to the mines. We can head there and not have to detour too far. W-we can.”

‘I need to stop this.’ Bond awkwardly pats the air above his shoulder.

“Okay.”

“We can-we can… Wait. What?”

“Okay. We’ll head there as soon as you calm down.”

“I-”

“Here hon, inhale with me okay.”

Bond steps back, allowing Moneypenny access to the boy’s attention. Together, they breathe as slowly as Coeus can manage until it finally evens out. As he starts to put himself back together, Bond realizes what was said.

“What happened just now, wasn’t your fault.”

“Hmm.” Coeus doesn’t bother to make eye contact as he holds his injured arm to his chest. “You said we’re going?”

Moneypenny looks to him as well waiting for an explanation. Which, that’s fair given how against going in as backup he was before.

“Bravo team is heading for the crash site as well. We’ll meet them there. You can personally hand off the rest of your data like you were originally going to, then we make our way to the mines.” Bond says like it’s the most reasonable course of action.

Moneypenny and Coeus nod in agreement.

“Okay, we’ve wasted enough time here then. Let’s go.” With his back straight and new confidence in his eyes, Coeus marches forward.

The agents follow behind him.

“Thanks for taking care of that.” Bond mumbles at the other agent.

“Don’t worry about it. I knew it was coming.” Moneypenny shakes her head. “He handles himself well, but... I hope Kirk is alright.”

“Hmm.”

The inside of the apartment is nothing special. It’s a bit to small to even be called an apartment. An open doorway leads to a public bathroom. A small table and an area set aside specifically as a pantry. And a set of stairs leading up. 

There is a metal door leading to the courtyard.

“It’s locked from the other side.” Coeus has his thin arm reaching through the barred window. “I can’t reach the lock.”

After a few attempts from the agents to kick it down, much to Bond’s leg’s dismay, or reaching themselves the three have to concede that they aren’t opening it from this side. 

“There’s construction going on in the building across from us and a balcony up top. We could check that out.”

With no other ideas Bond and Moneypenny agree. They are quiet as they make their way to the top of the building. The rest of the apartment isn’t any better than the ground floor Bond notices. His leg throbs from the abuse.

‘Oh, this is great.’

The ‘balcony’ is more like an unfinished room with no walls or a roof. The half-finished construction of the other building has left the second and third floors with just the skeleton of support beams.

“Now what?” He huffs.

“Okay, now throw me across.” Coeus responds.

“What?!” “Hell no!”

Bond and Moneypenny turn their protective wrath toward the child stupid enough to even suggest an idea like that. The child in question flinches backward with his one hand up in a passive gesture. 

“Okay, okay. Holy shit. Bite my head off why don’t ya?” 

“Coeus, I say this with complete respect for you, but you have to be one of the smartest dumb people I have ever met.”

“I resent that claim.”

“She’s right. In what world did you think we would willing throw you across a street.”

“One where we don’t have any other options to get the stupid door open downstairs.” Coeus rolls his eyes so hard Bond wonders if there is a chance for them to get stuck. “Besides it was a joke. Knew you wouldn’t go for it.”

The boy turns a grin toward the both of them. “So, Moneypenny. How do you feel about free flying?”

For a moment no one says anything, before Moneypenny turns to the Double 0. 

“You fuck this up Bond and I swear to God.”

He nods. No need for an in-depth explanation. She hands off the rifle on her back to the boy.

“Okay.” 

Bond goes as far as to the ledge as he can, cups his hands together, and positions himself to take on extra weight. Moneypenny walks to the other end of the room and gets ready to run at the Double 0. Coeus stands out of the way giving her a thumbs up. She bobs her head in thanks or reassurance. 

It’s quiet. 

Then she sprints. Her boot lands in the Double 0’s hands and he thrusts upward launching her across the expanse. She flips gracefully forward and lands on a platform on the other side. 

“Ten outa ten, agent.” Coeus shouts to her. 

She waves before dropping to the second floor and making for the stairs. Before she can go down though a series of cries rings through the air. In a blink Bond sees a swarm of infected climbing the stairs. 

“Shit!”

Moneypenny is backing up into a corner of the room trying to put as much space between them and herself. A shoot is fired and ‘fuck they have guns?!’ Next to him he hears a bullet load into a chamber. He looks down. Coeus is on the ground, cocking the rifle and aiming down the sights before pulling the trigger again. The head of a threat running at their teammate explodes in a shower of gore. 

‘Oh, it was the boy.’

She’s firing into the crowd as well. Bond joins in.

“Moneypenny, head down the stairs. Co and I have you covered.” He says into the earwig. Shouting won’t be heard over the chaos. She does as instructed. Any not taken out by them she handles herself. 

“We need to go.” Coeus picks himself up from the floor and sprints toward the stairs. 

With Moneypenny headed that way herself and her tails following after, Bond takes two stairs at a time to met them. 

Coeus is already at the door, he’s sitting on his knees on a chair he had dragged over. The barrel of the rifle is between the bars of the window. Bond grabs the shotgun off his back as Moneypenny slides herself to the door.

“DOWN!” 

She ducks allowing him full access to the horde behind her. His shotgun easily takes out the first half, Coeus picking off stragglers in quick session. The boy must spot something in his vision because he yells for Moneypenny to get behind something, before swinging the barrel away from the group of hostiles.

The shot fired from the rifle must have hit a gas tank in one of the parked cars outside because the resulting explosion fried everything not cleared of the area. 

Bond grabs the boy as a heatwave moves towards them and throws them both to the floor.

They lay there breathing heavily. The door opens and Moneypenny crawls to them. 

“You okay?”

She nods. “Yeah, I’m good. You?”

“Just peachy.”

“Okay.”

“Welp, this has been fun, but we have a rescue operation to complete. Come on.” Coeus stands with nervous energy and helps the two to their feet. He hands Moneypenny back her rifle along with some of the extra ammo in his pack. 

‘Where the hell is this kid getting all this energy?’

Outside in the courtyard is a set of stairs that lead to a gate. Beyond that is where the helicopter will be, if the smoke coming from that direction is any indication. 

They make their way up the stairs. Halfway there a new figure emerges beyond the gate. The trio stops. It’s male, thin, a sack covers his head with a thick rope holding it in place. A single hole allows them to see a single milky bloodshot eye staring at them.

The rev on an engine has the three of them backing up.

“Tell me that’s not what I think it is.” Moneypenny grounds out through gritted teeth.

The man raises a chainsaw above his head with a manic cry and brings it down on the bar holding the gate closed. The sound of metal meeting metal is horrid as sparks fly through the air. 

“A chainsaw? As if things weren’t bad enough already.” Moneypenny snarls, aiming her gun and drawing Coeus away.

“It’s like we stepped into every B-rated horror movie ever made.” Bond agrees. 

“You watch horror movies?” Coeus asks skeptically. 

The man at the top of the stairs swings the chainsaw around wildly, screaming and laughing like a man possessed. With one last rotation of his body the man sprints full speed down the stairs straight for them. 

The agents don’t waste any time. Firing together they hit the man with a full clip each until the crazed bastard is right on top of them. Their bullets seemed to have no effect. Did nothing to stop or slow him down. Chunks on flesh and meat have been blown off, and he still keeps coming.

“Oh, shit!” 

Bond is forced to roll out of the way before the chainsaw can sever his head from his neck. Moneypenny has to back away from the man as he starts to swing at random again. He’s driving them back into the courtyard. Coeus disappears from view behind a burnt out bus and watches the exchange.

‘If we can draw him in further maybe we can run past him.’

That thought is quickly disregarded when Bond watches as the man sprints at Moneypenny again with surprising speed and agility. She ducks at the last second and the chainsaw catches on a stone pillar he backed her into. As Moneypenny rolls to gain more distance the man follows her, his chainsaw coming down toward her exposed back. 

Bond moves forward with his heart in his throat. A strike like that will cut her in half. 

He grabs Moneypenny’s outstretched hand to try and pull her out of the way. He won’t be fast enough. Even if she doesn’t die, she’s going to be injured. Critically. 

Doesn’t matter, he pulls with everything he has. 

The chainsaw reaches her. 

A booming sound of a gun going off to the left and the chainsaw is thrown off course. The man screams, in pain or fury, Bond isn’t sure. His main concern is the woman in his arms. 

Her breathing is harsh and her eyes wild, but she nods her thanks to him. The man revs up his weapon again with a laugh and raises at them. A raspy war cry has all of them diverting their attention from one another. 

“GET AWAY!"

Coeus, the genius, dumbass that he is, runs right at the man. His pathetic yelling has the man zeroing in on the child. He swings his chainsaw sharply at the approaching boy. 

Coeus slides under it and right between the man’s legs before scrambling to stand back up. Drawing his stun rod and activating it, the boy smacks the man in the back of the knees. 

That does the trick. 

The man hollers in anger as his legs buckle beneath him. He tries to target the boy with his weapon. Coeus takes one step back and leans away. It’s not enough. The spinning metal comes inches away from his face. 

“Coeus!” 

Moneypenny is back and kicking the base of the chainsaw changing the trajectory away from the boy. Bond moves in as well. Using the man’s off balance to his advantage, grabbing under the man’s jaw and the back of his head and twisting. 

The neck under him snaps a full 180 and he slumps forward.

“Quick! Remove the head!”

Bond doesn’t bother to ask why. He takes the shotgun off his back and blows the bastards head clean off his shoulders. Blood and grey matter cover the bottom of his pants and shoes. He breathes harshly through his nose.

“Well done.”

“Are you crazy!?” Bond looks over to find Moneypenny is shaking the boy by his shoulders. 

“What?” His eyes are wide as he watches her. Shoulders stiff and the hand holding ‘Blue’ is white and trembling. Despite all of this, he does nothing to push her off.

“What were you thinking!? Charging at him like that. If I had been even a moment to late!”

“But you weren’t. I’m fine, you’re fine. Everyone’s fine. I know what I’m doing.”

“You were seconds from losing your face!”

“And you were seconds from being cut in half. I saved you first!”

“That’s-”

“Alright. Enough.” Bond feels weird being the one to act as mediator, but he doesn’t want to see the kind of fight this might escalate to. “Everyone here has had a hand in saving everyone today. Okay. I think we can agree we’ve all done some…admittedly reckless things in our time. So…um.”

“Awe don’t lose momentum now 007. You were just getting to the inspirational bit.” 

Moneypenny relaxes her shoulders in a laugh.

“Shut it, brat.”

The tension is gone with the banter back. If James needs to be the butt of the joke this time, he doesn’t mind.

Much.

“Alright, lets go.” Bond starts for the stairs.

“Hold up.” Coeus kneels down to the new corpse and rummages along its belt. “Got it.” The boy twirls a keyring around his finger. “This will get us through the gate ahead.”

Moneypenny looks at the gate up top the stairs. “Pretty sure we don’t need to worry about that.”

Coeus walks past the two of them toward the burnt-out bus he was hiding behind before to pick up the discarded magnum on the floor. He holsters it back in his jacket. 

“There’s another gate just beyond. Locked tight. That guy was a dick even before all this so don’t feel so bad about removing his head.”

Bond glances at the corpse. “Yeah. Why did I have to remove his head? I napped his neck. Don’t think he was going to be getting back up.”

“You would think that wouldn’t you?”

The three climb the stairs again.

“I’m sorry.”

“Mutation I’m all too familiar with. Believe me. The second our back was turned, BAM! Chainsaw in the back. They don’t stay down for too long.”

That puts the two agents in deep thought. They make it to the aforementioned gate and go through. 

The smoke in the sky is thicker here. Coming just beyond a rolling door. The sounds of fire burning are heard with the birds circling overhead.

‘Must be the crash site.’

The quiet of it all has Bond hesitating. “Coeus-” 

“Come on.” The boy is already working on pushing the door out of the way. “Help me out here.”

Moneypenny helps in push while Bond pulls. They get the door opened.

Beyond. 

Beyond.

Well.

They’re too late.

The helicopter sits aflame in the middle of a large clearing. Low walls block off the rest of the surround buildings from the carnage. They run towards the chopper looking for signs of either Delta Team or Kirk.

It’s Kirk they find.

“Oh my God…” Moneypenny whispers.

Kirk is bent backwards on a pile of burning tires. His skin is charred black, clothes melted to his flesh. They can’t see his face, not with how deformed the flames have caused it to become. But they could see well enough, the scream held eternal by the gape of his mouth.

Coeus turns away from them and promptly vomits onto the dirt. His hands rest shaking on his knees. His coughs poorly disguise the sharp breaths that hold back tears.

Bond and Moneypenny go to comfort the grieving child. “Co, this. This isn’t your-”

The sound of a running engine cuts off whatever Bond was going to say. Coeus snaps his head up when he hears it. They stand frozen together. Trying to determine where it’s coming from. To Bond’s dread, it’s coming closer. And it’s not just one. 

It’s several. 

“LOOK OUT!” 

Coeus turns sharply and points behind them. Bond and Moneypenny follow his finger to the sight of a man on a motorcycle with a long chain flying through the air towards them. 

The man flings the chain the chain like a whip at Moneypenny. Coeus stumbles backward as Bond throws himself at his partner knocking, them both to the ground. The chain smacks the ground behind them hard.

Bond almost thinks they’re in the clear when he feels the metal tighten around his ankle.

“Fuck.”

A sudden jarring pull drags him from off the top of Moneypenny and across the dirt. Road burn blossoms on his arms and back as he tries to find some kind of purchase. The man on the bike ahead of him is pulling him towards the burning wreckage of the helicopter.

“Shit, shit, shit!”

Bond can see the exact piece of jagged metal the man is aiming to stick him on. His leg is on fire and he’s helpless to do anything to stop his ride into the afterlife.

A shot, the sound of a chain breaking, and Bond finds himself rolling to a stop. He brings himself to his elbows to find the man on the bike sprouting the icon black flower the infected all seem to share. 

Moneypenny is the first there to help him to his feet. Coeus not far behind hands him back his gun. The barrel is smoking. Bond stands and aims at the bastard that had the gal to drag him through the dirt. 

When another motorcycle lands into the clearing and nearly runs them over as it passes. The driver has another flower coming from his mouth, snarling like a mad dog. 

“There’s more!” Moneypenny calls.

More and more infected on bikes drive into the clearing until they have at the very least eight bikes circling them. Bond is doing his best to aim, but anytime he does a bike runs close almost knock him off balance. 

Bond can feel the flames of the burning helicopter as they are backed into it. Two cyclists rise onto their hind wheels and start to drive right for the trio. There is no time to shoot and all of them have to dive out of the way.

He has his hand on Coeus’ back, the boy is breathing hard. They can’t keep this up, but they try and flee they’re going to be run down. 

‘Damn it.’

The Double 0 helps the boy to his feet allowing the child to cling to his belt. Moneypenny is already up. They take aim.

A man circling back is thrown off his bike with the accompanying gunshot.

“Nice aim Moneypenny!” Coeus shouts. 

“That…That wasn’t me.” She says bewildered.

“Wasn’t me.” Bond scans the area around them. 

There! The sunlight reflects the scope of a rifle on top of a nearby building. It’s hard to tell from where he’s standing but it looks like a uniform.

More shots ring out and more are thrown off their bike. Bond and Moneypenny join, taking down as many of the bastards as they are able to. A group of men enter in formation from the other end of the clearing. Guns raised and ready for action.

Delta Team.

One of the bullets hit the gas tank of a bike and throws the man on it into the air. The body flies until it lands onto a spike of metal jutting from the wreckage. 

Seven down one to go. 

Bond can hear Coeus whine behind him. He turns to the boy. He’s trying to cock his magnum, but his fingers are stiff and uncooperative, his whole hand shaking. 

A bike is coming toward them.

Bond goes to turn and aim with one goal in mind. Protect the boy. 

He needn’t have bothered. 

The infected head is blown of his shoulders and the bike veers left and hits a wall. The area is quiet as the members of Delta team break off. Half ensuring the elimination of all enemies and the other half bee-lining for their group.

Coeus is shaking next to him. His eyes are wide, unseeing. His fingers are locked on the hammer of his gun. 

“Hey.” Bond whispers quietly as Moneypenny goes to greet the BSAA. He places his hand on top of the boys.

Coeus swallows and rasps. “M’ sorry.” 

Bond takes in the words. The apology could be for any number of things that’s happened today. None of them in need of an apology. But based on his response earlier, Coeus doesn’t see it that way. So, the agent says the only thing he can think to say.

“It’s okay.”

Coeus looks up and meets his eyes. There is a grief there that is barely being held at bay. A doubt in his words. Bond doubles down with a pat to his shoulder.

“It’s okay.”

*

They are in the train station. Waiting for the BSAA to clear the area. Moneypenny is examining Coeus, holding an incredibly bruised and swollen wrist. He’s quiet through her prodding. 

‘A light sprain; made worse through excessive use. No wonder he couldn’t pull the hammer back.’ Bond musses.

They managed to change the bandages on his other arm and find a sling to keep the limb level. So far so good. The way he sits suggest there is bruising on his back. The black and blue around his thin neck have darken considerably and his parlor is like looking at a ghost.

His eyes are void of anything. No sadness, no fear, no anger. Just empty.

He’s alive. But that’s all that can really be said.

Bond flecks his leg and itches at the brace he was given to stabilize his knee. Moneypenny has a bandage on her hand and cheek. 

They’re a mess.

The door opens and a man with authority in his stride walks through. Bond stands to greet him.

“I am glad to you guys. 007.”

The man grabs his hand and gives it a firm shake. “Good to meet you. Delta Team Captain Stone.” He moves to Moneypenny.

“Agent Moneypenny.” She greets.

“Then this must be…”

“Coeus.” The boy rasps from where he sits. He makes no move to come closer and Stone keeps his own distance. 

“Coeus. Good to finally have a face to match the voice. You have the rest of the data?”

Nodding, Coeus rummages through his satchel and brings out his laptop. He sets it on the desk. After looking around a moment Coeus spots a waste bin in the corner and walks to it, then proceeds to stick his fingers down his throat. 

“Hey!”

“What the hell.”

“Coeus!”

The boy is sick in the bin, continues even when it seems he's emptied his stomach, and then pulls something from the filth. He shrugs off the concern of the adults. Using a cloth from his pocket, Coeus unwraps the small item from its container and plugs the USB into the computer. 

“This is everything I’ve managed to find on the operation here. From virus specs to various types of mutations and the most efficient method of elimination. At least those I’ve managed to study.”

“You…swallowed your data.” Moneypenny says what’s on everyone’s mind.

“Um. Yeah?” Coeus is glancing at her confused, before bringing up pictures of the inside what looks like a lab. “Now I’ve managed to track down the main operating facility somewhere past the marshlands, but-”

“Why?” Bond interrupts.

The amount of information Coeus is giving them is incredible. Organized, thorough, everything they would need to systematically find and take out the threat. If ever given the opportunity the boy would make a very deadly and effective MI6 agent, possibly a Double 0. 

But for whatever reason instead of listening to the debriefing that he knew needed done he can’t seem to get his mind of the fact that this kid ate his data. 

“Because in order to take out this operation we have to take out their main base here? I thought that was obvious.” The duh at the end of the sentence was not present but definitely heard.

“No not, why did you swallow the data?” Stone is studying the information on the page but it’s him who asks the question.

“Wha-are you lot still on that?”

“We just saw you use a USB earlier. When did you swallow it?” Moneypenny has a hand through her hair trying to puzzle it out. 

That’s right with everything that’s happened when did he have the time? 

“Ugh, I’m trying to tell you important stuff here. At least try and listen.” His cheeks are puffed out again. He looks exhausted.

“We know, just-”

“The one I used before was a decoy! Okay?” The boy throws his good arm into the air in frustration. “There is a failsafe on it I made about a year ago. If I don’t disable as soon as I plug it in, the encrypted data turns the information into gibberish with no hope of recovery.”

“No kidding?” That was impressive. 

“Nope. I have a couple extra with me to keep any captors guessing. The capsule with the complete data I swallowed is able to withstand stomach acid for up to thirty-six hours before it needs to be brought back up.” 

That’s…that’s fucking genius. How has something like this not been implemented in MI6?

“Can I finish now?”

None of the adults say anything but nod. 

“Thank you.”

Coeus turns back to his satchel and retrieves a small metal box. He opens the top and cool air mists around it. Inside are six small glass vials. The boy takes one out and holds it up for the purple liquid to shine in the light. There is something swimming in the center.

“These are the samples of the plaga I was able to acquire. From what I understand these cause more dramatic mutations than those infected orally. It’s different with each subject.”

He takes out another vial to compare it to the one he held before. It’s black like tar. But unlike a liquid this one is solid, and it’s moving in the glass.

“Uroboros. This needs to be you're main priority.”

Bond stops a shutter from running through him. That small thing is responsible for the monster that chased them into the incinerator. The thing that almost took his leg. 

The box is closed and handed to the Captain. “We’ll make sure this gets to our research team. You’re evac will be on the other side of the mine. You’re welcome to our supply cache here, take what you need.”

“You’re not coming?” Moneypenny asks.

“Unfortunately, no. The BSAA are spread thin as it is, and with the loss of Alpha Team we need everyone on hand to try and contain the spread of infection.”

Bond nods. That makes sense. He watches as Coeus continues to cycle through his data. The boy gives the general location of where he believes the facility mass producing these things is at. The agent is studying the pictures and files that Coeus flips through. 

When he freezes.

He can't breathe.

A final picture takes up a majority of the screen. The quality is awful. Not taken in person, but a video. There is a man, strong jaw, blond, unconscious, sitting in some form liquid in a pod. 

Somewhere in the background Bond can hear Coeus explain that people all over the world are being kidnapped and held in the facility. Hundreds, thousands stored like cattle waiting to be used and discarded in upcoming experiments.

The information means nothing in the face of impossibility presented before him. This isn’t right. This can’t be real. There must be some sort of mistake. 

Because the last time he saw the face he now sees on the screen he was watching it fall out of a window and off the side of a cliff. 

Seven years ago.

“Alec.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year!!


End file.
